<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Christmas Candy by Larilyn</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27850514">Christmas Candy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larilyn/pseuds/Larilyn'>Larilyn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Soulmates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:13:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>28,985</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27850514</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larilyn/pseuds/Larilyn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the "A Very Darcy Advent" Bingo and Darcy Lewis Bingo. <br/>Confession: Darcy makes her first appearance in chapter three. But trust me... this is a very Darcy story. <br/>Square S3 “Presents” in AVDB Admittedly I fudged a bit on this one. It features a “gift” but not presents exactly.<br/>Square A1 "Darcy/Bucky" in Darcy Lewis bingo</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis, Natasha Romanov/Sam Wilson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>208</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>332</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Darcy Lewis Bingo</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Was that the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen, or what?”</p><p>Bucky closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the leather headrest. Stars streaked by in the windshield in front of him. Even with his eyes closed he could see their brightness.</p><p>Behind him, the tree murmured, “I am Groot.”</p><p>The raccoon piloting the spacecraft scolded, “stop putting blankets on her. You’ve put three on her already! She’s gonna suffocate, you idiot.”</p><p>“I am Groot!” Was the protest.</p><p>Bucky slouched down lower in his seat and responded, “Yeah, weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Vormir had been a hellscape. The ground and sky were the color of an overripe eggplant. Sand kicked up and made the air painfully dry. His lungs burned from the fine grains of sand that made their way into his nose and mouth. It smelled like rotting cabbage. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bucky had been warned by Steve, but the appearance of the Red Skull still shook him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Another mortal has arrived,” The creature cackled, “I have not seen so many in decades. And who will you sacrifice when the only person you truly love has abandoned you? Or perhaps your companions will be the ones sacrificing each other?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bucky narrowed his eyes at the Red Skull. Rocket and Groot had lowered Bucky to the surface with a rope, they remained airborne in the shuttle. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>With a protective growl, Bucky insisted, “They will not be setting foot on this planet.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You would sacrifice yourself for the Stone?” The Skull walked around him, like a predator, “Then how do you intend to wield it?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I don’t.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You are here to take my place, perhaps? To become the Guardian of the Soul Stone? To become a wraith?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I can,” Bucky said with resolve. “whatever it takes.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>For the first time, the Red Skull acknowledged who Bucky was. He stepped forward and asked, “What are you here for, Sergeant Barnes?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m here for Natasha. I’ll trade myself…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It doesn’t work that way! Once a sacrifice is made…” the Red Skull stopped. It seemed as if he was listening to something, although the wind was the only sound. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“The Soul Stone finds you intriguing. You have suffered at the hands of humanity, yet you believe in them. You had only one true friend, yet you encouraged him to abandon you for his own happiness. You have had enough of fighting, yet you fought for the benefit of the universe.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bucky tensed. He had a feeling that he knew what was coming. He knew when Steve told him about Vormir, he had to make a sacrifice. He was prepared. What the Red Skull said next took Bucky’s breath away.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“The Soul Stone grants your request. No sacrifice needed. And it has bestowed upon humanity a gift, on your behalf.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Skull put his thumb in the middle of Bucky’s forehead and Bucky felt his consciousness slip away.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He awoke in a pool of water, with Natasha Romanoff in his arms, asleep but very much alive.</em>
</p><hr/><p>“I am Groot.”</p><p>Bucky turned around to see Natasha stirring under the three blankets that Groot had piled upon her. Bucky went to her and took her hand. “Natasha?” he whispered.</p><p>“Barnes?” she whispered back, “Am I dead? Is this Heaven?”</p><p>From the pilot’s seat, Rocket’s voice jarred the relative silence. “How you feeling, Red?”</p><p>“Not Heaven,” Natasha sighed with a smile. She gave his hand a squeeze. “You’re real? You’re back?”</p><p>“I am. So are you.”</p><p>“I saw you… you turned to dust.”</p><p>“So I heard,” he said with a soft smile. “But at least I didn’t jump off a cliff on a hell planet.”</p><p>She sat up tentatively and shrugged, “Well, you know, whatever it takes.”</p><p>He moved to let go of her hand when she stopped him. She turned her wrist and they both saw, written there the words, “How ya doin’?” in iridescent script.</p><p>“What the hell is that?” Bucky asked.</p><hr/><p>It had taken a day for the shuttle to meet up with the Benatar and two weeks for the Benatar to make it to earth. Bucky had told Natasha how everyone had returned, and about what Steve had done. But he left it to Thor to tell her about Stark. Part of him felt like it was a cowardly thing to do, but another felt like it was right. Thor and Stark had been her teammates, her family. He was more like an in-law or a family friend. It wasn’t his place.</p><p>He had no explanation for the writing encircling her wrist. Quill had a similar brand, a silver script down the side of his neck that said, “What happened?”</p><p>Quill said it was the first thing Gamora said to him and he insisted that it “meant something”. Bucky wasn’t sure what it was supposed to mean. But he hoped he was wrong. Because Bucky had writing on his ribs. The writing was lovely, loopy and feminine, but the words were ugly. He wanted it to mean nothing. Nothing at all.</p><p>Sam stood there with his hands on his hips when they landed. He looked irritated. He probably had a right. Bucky had hopped on the Benatar with Thor at the last minute, right after Steve had shown up to hand over the shield. He knew that he deserved a lecture. Sam had to know by now that Bucky was in on Steve’s plan.</p><p>“Man…” Sam began as Bucky disembarked. He went quiet as soon as he saw Natasha.</p><p>“Sam?” she asked, softly.</p><p>He rushed to her, taking her face in his hands. “How? Are you real?”</p><p>“I’m real,” she promised. “I feel….”</p><p>“I feel it too,” Sam said.</p><p>Bucky noticed a single word etched on the back of Sam’s neck. The word, “Hey” turned from iridescent to silver.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Caramel Apples</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fills square G1 "Mistletoe" in A Very Darcy Advent Bingo 2020<br/>and Square A1 "Darcy/Bucky" in Darcy Lewis Bingo 2020</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Two months later</p><p>“Stop fussing with your hair, you big baby,” Sam scolded.</p><p>Bucky couldn’t help it. He felt almost naked, exposed. He ran his fingers over the skin on the back of his neck that was no longer hidden by a curtain of hair.</p><p>“You did it on purpose,” Bucky growled.</p><p>“I did not,” Sam said, for the fifteenth time.</p><p>From the pilot’s seat, Natasha let out a chuckle. Across from him, Wanda Maximoff said with utmost sincerity, “I think you look very handsome.”</p><p>Bucky was uncomfortable with her open assessment and cast his eyes down. As a young man, he would have flirted with her in response, but he wasn’t that man anymore. He choked out a “thanks.”</p><p>“It was an accident,” Sam insisted. “Not my fault you fell into tar.”</p><p>“You pushed me,” Bucky snarled.</p><p>“You fell.”</p><p>“We’re landing,” Natasha announced, effectively stopping the bickering.</p><p>Bucky suppressed a grin. Verbal sparring with Sam left him feeling more normal than anything else in the world. Fighting reminded him that he was a killer. His body reminded him that he was a weapon. But his friendship with Sam was refreshing. Normal.</p><p>He looked up to see Sam flashing him the bird while wearing a broad, cheeky smile. Bucky barked out a laugh.</p><p>“Good lord, my soulmate is a toddler,” Natasha complained as they landed. </p><p>Soulmate.</p><p>The whole thing was insane. The ‘gift’ the Soul Stone had bestowed on humanity were words, emblazoned on the skin. They were iridescent until the people who spoke them touched. Then they turned silver. Natasha and Sam swore that they felt something happen when they touched. A certain bond was formed. Scott and Hope said the same thing. Their words were on the same part of their bodies. Scott had a simple, 'yes' in Hope's handwriting on the inside of his wrist. Hope had a longer sentence, in Scott's writing, twisting around her wrist, 'Hello. Who are you? Have you been standing there watching me sleep this whole time?' They were lovely looking.</p><p>Banner went as far as to appear on the news, discussing the theory that the Soul Stone had emblazoned people with the first words from their soulmates. He called them Soulmarks. Banner actually believed it was some kind of reward like the stone had ‘told’ Bucky. But it didn't feel that way to people like Pepper, whose words were as black as night, a sign that her soulmate was dead. Or to Bucky, whose words were terrible. No, his words weren’t a gift. They were a curse.</p><p>Bucky was just thankful that Banner had left his name out of the whole thing. The last thing he needed was a bunch of reporters screaming words at him, asking about Vormir.</p><p>Wanda was branded twice. One set of words remained iridescent. The others, ‘look again’ were black. He looked across the jet at her. She touched with the black words on her arm and then looked up at Bucky with a sad smile. He returned it.</p><p>Bucky hadn’t told anyone about his words. People were still trying to understand them, trying to figure out what they meant. It was still very private and something that few people would discuss. On the evening news they would bring out couples that had been married for decades to talk about their silver words and their bonds. They’d talk about how they didn’t need the words to know who their soulmate was.</p><p>Other stories emerged about strangers who had said each other’s words and instantly created a bond as their words turned from iridescent to silver. But the people whose words had yet to be spoken stayed quietly in the background. Unless the words were in an obvious place, people weren’t asking what they said. So even Bucky’s teammates didn’t pry. Where his words were and what they said remained between Bucky and his mirror.</p><p>Bucky hoped to never hear them.</p><hr/><p>Every time they landed at the new Avengers facility there were more people moving around. More people that could possibly say those hateful words. Bucky found that it was best to avoid new people. It was better to go on mission after mission.</p><p>When Dr. Jane Foster and her assistant, Darcy Lewis, had arrived at the facility Bucky had been gone. They had settled in for almost a month before Bucky had come home again. And even when he was home, it was a rare occasion for Bucky to find himself in the Avengers common room. So it was no surprise that the first time he saw them was a full month after everyone else had met them.</p><p>When the tiny brunette with big brown eyes hurried into the common room with a box full of smaller boxes, she made a beeline for him. Bucky looked for an escape route, but the woman was determined to speak to him. She set down the large box, grabbed one of the smaller ones, held it straight out, and said, “Here!”</p><p>Bucky exhaled. ‘Here’ was not one of his words. He was safe.</p><p>“I have been informed that Darcy made those peanut butter cups for everyone and not just for me. Since I ate all of them,” she did little air quotes with the next four words although the whole sentence felt rehearsed, “ ‘it has been decreed’ that I make amends by presenting each of the residents of the Facility with these treats. Darcy made me help her. I burnt my finger.”</p><p>She held up her index finger for inspection and sure enough, there was a tiny blister. Apparently, she thought it required a response since she looked at him expectantly.</p><p>“Ouch?” he responded.</p><p>“There is also an apology dance. If Darcy asks, I did the dance. Got it?”</p><p>Bucky nodded, quite dumbfounded.</p><p>“By the way, you’re under the mistletoe. I’ll spare you, but Darcy won’t,” she advised.</p><p>The woman spun on her heel, picked up the large box, and hurried out of the common room towards the gun range. Under her breath, she muttered, “It’s two days after Thanksgiving and Darcy put up mistletoe. Little freak.”</p><p>Bucky was so stunned that he didn’t hear Natasha come up behind him. Then again, it was Natasha, so Bucky didn’t worry that his skills had become rusty. She could sneak up on anyone.</p><p>“I see you met Dr. Foster,” Natasha said with a grin.</p><p>“Holy crap,” Bucky exhaled.</p><p>“Wait until you meet Darcy!” Natasha slapped him on the shoulder and laughed.</p><p>He turned and gave her a small scowl, to which she responded with crossed eyes and a stuck-out tongue. Sam was a terrible influence on her.</p><p>Bucky took his little box with the pretty red ribbon back to his rooms.</p><p>Inside was a caramel apple coated in stripes of dark and milk chocolate. Another little red ribbon was tied to the stick. He almost hated to destroy it, it was so beautiful. But it looked so delicious that he succumbed to the temptation, cutting a little slice out of it with a knife. The juices of the apple beaded up on the fruit’s surface and the caramel pulled away in long decadent strings. He put the remainder of the apple in the refrigerator and then turned back to his slice. He took a tiny bite from the corner and sighed in appreciation. The apple was perfectly tart and the caramel was not too sweet. He shoved the rest of the slice in his mouth and bit down, letting the juices of the apple and caramel drip down the back of his throat.</p><p>He stood there, in his kitchen and pondered for a moment.</p><p>Then he opened the refrigerator back up, pulled out the apple, opened wide, and took a huge bite. He smiled as he chewed and laughed to himself as he wiped the juices off of his chin.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Darcy makes her appearance in the next chapter! I promise!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Peanut Butter Cups</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fills: Square G3 “Snowball Fight?”In A Very Darcy Advent Bingo </p>
<p>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
<p>And our heroine appears!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s just a strange turn of phrase, that’s all,” Jane commented. “It’s antiquated.”</p>
<p>“Says the woman with ‘what realm is this?’ on her ass,” Darcy snarked back with her mouthful of pancakes.</p>
<p>The woman in the next booth shot them a look of disapproval. Darcy smiled widely at the scowling face and announced, “We’re European.”</p>
<p>The woman rolled her eyes and refocused on her breakfast. The little diner had the best buttermilk pancakes on the planet. And it was nice to get away from the compound every once and a while. But sometimes Darcy forgot that she was in the company of civilians.</p>
<p>Darcy looked at Jane’s face which was squished up in annoyance with her best friend. “Do you have to antagonize everyone?”</p>
<p>Darcy’s eyes never left Jane’s as she beamed a huge smile with chipmunk cheeks from the pancakes. The smile was even bigger than the fake one that the nosy biddy received. “I find it amusing. Besides, I’m usually a very nice person.” Then she raised her voice ever so slightly, “Unless you are judgmental eavesdropper.”</p>
<p>Jane literally face-palmed. “You’re killing me, Darcy.”</p>
<p>“Hey, it's not our fault that we were in Norway when the Soulmarks appeared. And since Norwegians are more sophisticated than Americans, we don’t have the ridiculous, prudish, need to pretend they don’t exist.”</p>
<p>“We’re American,” Jane reminded her.</p>
<p>“Duh.” Darcy poured more maple syrup on her pancakes, pouring until the pat of butter in the middle of the stack was completely melted. “That’s the stuff,” she muttered to herself.</p>
<p>Darcy took a few bites of the syrupy, buttery pancakes before she asked, “So…how are things with you guys?”</p>
<p>Jane shrugged, “I don’t know. It’s kind of awkward. I mean, we broke up for a reason, and now the universe…or whatever… is telling me that he’s my soulmate.”</p>
<p>“And you’re his too.”</p>
<p>Jane shrugged.</p>
<p>Darcy knew that sometimes it was too much for Jane. The idea that they’d both been snuffed out of existence for five years, only to come back to the same lab, the same work that they’d left. The location was so remote that Darcy and Jane hadn’t even been aware that they had suddenly lost five years. Jane figured that the inconsistencies in her data had to have been a malfunction of some kind. After all, most of her equipment was still held together with spit and duct tape.</p>
<p>It wasn’t until they went into town for supplies that they had found out about the ‘blip.’</p>
<p>When they saw footage of the destroyed Avengers compound, they drove back to the lab, packed, and got on a plane to New York without even discussing it. By the time they got to the States, it was too late. Thor was on a spaceship and had been gone for two weeks. But Banner knew who Jane Foster was and begged them to stay. The idea of building a lab from scratch, with everything they needed, and without the judgment of the mainstream scientific community was too much to resist. Adding in the opportunity to work with Banner, Pym and Van Dyne, and Jane was pretty much done in. And Darcy went where Jane went.</p>
<p>They weren’t the only ones who had filtered in to help rebuild. By the time Thor had returned from space, with a raccoon, a tree, some aliens, and three people who had all been assumed missing or dead at some point, the new compound was partially rebuilt.</p>
<p>Jane poured more hot sauce on her eggs as she spoke, “He doesn’t have my words.”</p>
<p>“He doesn’t have any words, Janey. Because he’s Asgardian. The raccoon dude doesn’t have words. Neither does tree guy.”</p>
<p>“Groot,” Jane muttered.</p>
<p>“It’s just humans.”</p>
<p>Jane shrugged again.</p>
<p>“He’s back now.”</p>
<p>“He went into outer space. The second he could get off the planet, he did.”</p>
<p>“And he came <em>back</em>. He came back and he’s stayed. He’s even cleaned himself up. He eats salads and everything,” Darcy argued. Jane was still poking at the eggs on her plate. “Janey, he loves you.”</p>
<p>“I love him too, I just wonder if it's enough.”</p>
<p>It was Darcy’s turn to shrug. “It’s Thor, Janey. I think he’s worth it.”</p>
<p>“And what about you? You talk to him yet?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know who you’re talking about.”</p>
<p>“I’m talking about Barnes. The one you refer to as a ‘sexy beast’ under your breath. And the only person I can think of that would use a phrase like the one on your thigh.”</p>
<p>“Wishful thinking, Jane.”</p>
<p>“Hardly! You think I want someone that unstable as your soulmate?”</p>
<p>“He’s not unstable. He’s totally cured. And he saved Natasha! And he’s obviously super shy and could live without your judgey eyes, Jane Foster!” Darcy turned to the woman at the next booth and snapped, “Or your judgey ears.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>After a month or so, it became abundantly clear that a certain James Barnes had no intention of saying anything at all to her, let alone her words.</p>
<p>In fact, it was pretty obvious that he had no intention of remaining at the compound for more than a day or two.</p>
<p>“It’s not healthy,” Darcy said out loud, but not necessarily to Dr. Banner.</p>
<p>“Honey, can you punch that button for me?” Banner pointed to a small button between two toggles that his extra-large fingers couldn’t possibly push. “What’s not healthy?”</p>
<p>“It’s like he lands and then gets right back on the jet. He doesn’t decompress. He doesn’t eat or sleep. He just goes. And he doesn’t have to anymore, you know? I mean, I realize that there are still bad guys out there but… ever hear of self-care? Am I right?”</p>
<p>“The button?”</p>
<p>“Sorry.” Darcy poked at the button and then picked at her fingernails distractedly. She didn’t even mean to say this next part out loud, but out it popped, “I should taze his ass. At least that way he’d get some sleep.”</p>
<p>“Not sure what you are talking about, Darcy. But tazing isn’t how I would handle things. You catch more flies with sugar…”</p>
<p>“Sugar! That’s it! You’re a genius!”</p>
<p>“I am? I mean, I <em>am</em>…”</p>
<p>Darcy was already formulating a plan and halfway out the door when she remembered, “I’m placing an order for Dr. Cho later, you need anything?”</p>
<p>“I’ll send you a list. Are you going somewhere?”</p>
<p>“I need to ask Dr. Palmer if anyone is allergic to peanuts. Here.” She climbed up on a chair and pulled the pencil that had been tucked behind his ear all afternoon, “Here’s your pencil. For button-pushing.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>They were gone. Obliterated. Destroyed.</p>
<p>All of her hard work.</p>
<p>All of that time.</p>
<p>Wasted.</p>
<p>“Jane…I’m gonna KILL YOU!”</p>
<p>She stormed into Jane’s lab where she witnessed Jane elbowing a kid in the ribs and whispering. “I will owe you big time, kid. Big. Time.”</p>
<p>The kid approached. He was all earnestness, with those big brown eyes, twisting his hands in nervous energy, “Ma’am, I have to confess something.”</p>
<p>Darcy let out a gasp that pulled all of the air out of her lungs.</p>
<p>Jane was at her side in an instant. “Darcy?”</p>
<p>She knew her skin was probably ghost white. Her hands were shaking. “Jesus Janey, did you tell him to say that?”</p>
<p>“No! I mean, I asked him to take the blame for eating all the peanut butter cups. Which were really good and pretty much responsible for my latest breakthrough. Sugar and protein. Brilliant things, peanut butter cups…”</p>
<p>“Dr. Foster,” the kid took his turn to elbow ribs, planting his right in Jane’s side. “Focus. Can I get you a chair, ma’am?”</p>
<p>“Darcy,” she corrected. She lowered herself shakily into the rolling chair the kid offered. And she patted his hand, just to be sure.</p>
<p>There was no spark. No connection. No mystical need to be with each other.</p>
<p>“Jesus, Janey,” she breathed. “That was close.”</p>
<p>“One word off,” Jane agreed.</p>
<p>“You didn’t tell him?”</p>
<p>“Tell me what?” The kid asked.</p>
<p>“Her soul mark. You almost said it.”</p>
<p>“Oh! Gosh! I didn’t know. Dr. Foster just asked me to tell you that I ate all the peanut butter cups so you wouldn’t yell at her. She didn’t think you’d yell at me. Because we just met and all. I’m Peter, by the way. Peter Parker.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>Pepper Potts was just like peppermint candy. There was a coolness about her that was refreshing. But at the same time, there was a sweetness that couldn’t be denied. She had taken over the administration duties for the Avengers after Tony died. In fact, Pepper was pretty much bankrolling the whole operation.</p>
<p>Darcy didn’t know how she did it, being here without Tony.</p>
<p>“Miss Lewis? Can I speak with you?”</p>
<p>“Um. Sure.”</p>
<p>Well, this was it. She was getting fired. Sure, she hadn’t done anything wrong per se, but she was so woefully unqualified.</p>
<p>“I spoke to Bruce. He said you’ve been managing his inventory?”</p>
<p>“Well um, he gets into science-ing and forgets that he needs things. He breaks stuff too, with his big old hands.”</p>
<p>“And you did the background checks on the nurses that Doctor Palmer brought in?”</p>
<p>“Well, the board of nursing did the background checks. I just dug deeper. Just in case.”</p>
<p>“It seems you’re handling the managerial duties for the entire lab.”</p>
<p>“I’m… just trying to keep things organized.”</p>
<p>“And when Secretary Ross wanted to talk to Hank Pym you told him to, and I’m quoting here, ‘suck my ass, douche-nozzle’.”</p>
<p>“Guilty?”</p>
<p>“You’re getting a promotion,” Pepper shut her laptop with a little flourish and then added, “And a raise.”</p>
<p>“Wha…?”</p>
<p>“You’re doing the work anyway, Darcy. You should be compensated for it.”</p>
<p>“Okay. Wow. Thanks.”</p>
<p>“And there’s one more thing,” Pepper leaned forward and lowered her voice, even though there was no one else in the room, “I heard a rumor about candy?”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>“Janey, please! It will be so much fun!”</p>
<p>Even Peter Parker was on Darcy’s side, “Come on, Dr. Foster. Look at it outside. It’s so pretty and white and….”</p>
<p>“Cold!” Jane argued.</p>
<p>The snowfall had slowed to just a few whispy flakes in the air. But earlier it had been thick and heavy. It had left a blanket of pure white snow on the ground. Not a single surface was uncovered. The lights reflected off of the snow, and so did the moon, making the night bright and dreamlike.</p>
<p>Darcy started singing, “Do you wanna build a snowman…?”</p>
<p>“Stop it.”</p>
<p>“Or ride our bikes around the hall?”</p>
<p>Jane threw her hands up in frustration. “Fine! We will ignore our very important work and go play in the snow.”</p>
<p>Darcy bounced on her toes. She loved the snow. There was something about the way her nose got cold and red, and the burning on her cheeks. Darcy loved it.</p>
<p>She put her arm over Peter’s shoulder and asked, “Whaddya think? Snowman? Or snowball fight?”</p>
<p>Peter shook his head and sagely offered, “Snow fort.”</p>
<p>“While we’re out there, how about we pick out a Christmas tree?” Darcy suggested.</p>
<p>Jane crossed her arms over her chest again. “Fine. But hand one over.”</p>
<p>“Hand what over?” Darcy asked innocently.</p>
<p>“The peanut butter cups locked in your desk.”</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Salted Caramels</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fills: Square G2 “This calls for Eggnog” In A Very Darcy Advent Bingo <br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Have you even said a word to that woman yet?” Sam teased.</p><p>“Shuddup.” Bucky cast his eyes away and returned to poking at his bowl of paprikash. It was the fourth bowl and he was actually full. But he didn't have the heart to tell Wanda. Apparently feeding the group made her happy. And since little else did....</p><p>Sam wasn't teasing him about Wanda though. It was the other woman. The one who came in with Dr. Foster eight weeks ago. The pinup come to life named Darcy Lewis.</p><p>Bucky had no reason to talk to Ms. Lewis. She was part of the science division, an area of the newly rebuilt compound that he actively tried to avoid. He preferred to remain alone or with Wanda or Sam or Nat.</p><p>Still, she was the kind of dame that his younger self would have loved. She had an easy smile and those curves....</p><p>But he just couldn't bring himself to talk to her.</p><p>The first time he saw her she was making curls out of dark chocolate to top off a cake that Banner was making.</p><p>Banner baked cakes.</p><p>Who knew?</p><p>Her hair looked just like those curls, dark chocolate with just a hint of honey that corkscrewed down her back. Her eyes were bright and clear and the color of the blue rock candy he and Steve used to get at Coney Island. Her skin was so fair that it could actually be called milky. And her lips… painted the color of a candied apple. He licked his lips when he saw her like she was a banquet of sinful treats.</p><p>Then he had turned and practically ran out of the room.</p><p>And even though she was supposed to be in the labs, she seemed to be everywhere. She’d set up squirrel feeders to watch their antics, and she always seemed to be hauling nuts out to fill them upright around the same time as Bucky’s morning run.</p><p>He went to the shooting range and she was getting lessons from Natasha.</p><p>He went up to the roof and she was there. Lounging in a deck chair with her headphones on.</p><p>Natasha said he couldn’t avoid her forever. But damned if he wasn’t gonna try.   </p><p>Bucky itched at the words on his ribs. He seemed to notice them more whenever she was near. Right now she was on the other side of the room, scolding Banner as she tried to remove a splinter from his massive foot. Thor stood beside Banner, offering loud encouragement.</p><p>Darcy saw him looking at her across the room and she smiled. A wide, beaming smile that made her eyes sparkle. He responded with a half-grin and then dropped his gaze back to the bowl of half-eaten paprikash.</p><p>“I'm full. Tell Wanda thanks for me,” and he darted out the room.</p><p>“Dude...” he heard Sam protest as he left.</p><p>He couldn’t take the chance that the words on his ribs would come out of her mouth. It would break him. Finally, truly break him in ways that even Hydra couldn’t.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>A few days later Bucky was lounging on the balcony overlooking the common room, watching the activity below.</p><p>“What are you hiding up here for?”</p><p>Bucky closed his eyes and let out a sigh. “I’m not hiding, Natalia.”</p><p>“Of course you are.”</p><p>Bucky could almost hear Steve cataloging all of the reasons that he knew Bucky was hiding. Like the fact that he sat in the shadow and slumped further back into the darkness whenever eyes cast their way upwards. Or the fact that he kept his phone on silent.</p><p>Natasha just let it sit there. She didn’t allow for argument.</p><p>Down below Darcy Lewis was stirring a huge pot of sugar. At the counter, Wanda watched and talked to Darcy, who would occasionally let out a snorting laugh.</p><p>It was charming, damn it.</p><p>“You should talk to her,” Natasha said.</p><p>“Better not.”</p><p>Bucky pushed himself out of a sitting position and walked away.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Sam, stop talking with your mouth full,” Bucky scolded. “It's irritating.”</p><p>“Deessogoog,” he mumbled back.</p><p>Bucky looked at Wanda for translation.</p><p>“I think he said, 'these are so good'. You really should try one.” She waved the salted caramel in front of Bucky's face.</p><p>“They're yours, sweet pea. I'm not taking your candy.”</p><p>Apparently, Ms. Lewis found out that Dr. Foster had neglected to perform the dance portion of the apology tour and had been forced to participate in yet another candy handout, this time with the apology dance.</p><p>Natasha got up off the couch and announced, “This calls for eggnog. And something crunchy. Anyone want popcorn?”</p><p>The three of them and Natasha were watching the Monday Night Football game in Sam's room, and Sam was doing his best to rub in the fact that Bucky had missed out on the treats.</p><p>“Fyagoasker, shedprollygiveyousome.”</p><p>“Sam, seriously. Stop. You're drooling.”</p><p>Natasha sat back down, tsk'd and wiped the sugary drool off of Sam's face. “I can't take you boys anywhere.”</p><p>“I can drool if I want. It's my apartment,” Sam insisted once he swallowed. “We could watch the game on the big screen in the common room if someone wasn't so afraid of the pretty girl.”</p><p>“What pretty girl? Wait, Darcy? You like Darcy?” Wanda looked utterly delighted and she bounced a little as she spoke.</p><p>“He's never even spoken to Darcy,” Sam teased. “Because he's a great big chicken.”</p><p>“But...you have to talk to her. She may say your words,” Wanda seemed downright giddy at the thought.</p><p>“She's not gonna say my words. The whole words thing is nonsense anyway. Soulmates,” Bucky made a face, “Banner's been smoking too much reefer.”</p><p>“I don't know,” Wanda stroked the words that stretched down her calf. Iridescent words, just like his. Words that meant that a soulmate was still out there, that her chance at true love didn't end with the loss of Vis. “I think that they mean something.”</p><p>“Course they do, sweetie,” Sam assured her, while shooting a look at Bucky. Sam then rubbed at Natasha’s words, that glowed silver on her wrist. She gave him an adoring smile in return.</p><p>“Sorry, Wanda,” Bucky said, “I just... don't think that Miss Lewis is gonna say my words is all.”</p><p>Bucky hoped that no one would ever say his words. They were ominous, and a sign that his life was going to take a horrible turn towards the past.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>The next day, in the common room there was a huge plate of homemade caramel. Darcy must have made more than what fit in the little gift boxes. Next to them was a sign that said, “My name is Jane Foster and I steal candy to satisfy my sugar habit. These are for everyone but me. P.S. Thor, you can’t have them either. You’ll just take them to Jane.”</p><p>Bucky was reading the sign when Banner approached. “Don't worry. Foster didn't make them, Darcy did. They're really good.”</p><p>“You've had em?”</p><p>“Not this batch. The last one. I had two. Jane had about two dozen. But if Darcy asks, I didn't know. Don't want her mad at me too.”</p><p>“I don't want to see you dance,” Bucky admitted with a grin.</p><p>“Right? And she’d make me too. She’s got a way about her.”</p><p>“Yeah?” Bucky pictured Darcy Lewis sassing at Dr. Banner, with her hands on her hips. Or maybe she’d be pointing a finger at him, wagging it with annoyance. Her cheeks would probably be painted pink with a blush that drifted down to her heaving bosom.</p><p>Banner knocked Bucky out of his thoughts when he kept talking, “We’ve made her lab manager. Girl isn’t afraid to boss any of us around.” Banner bit off a piece of caramel and then added, “She’s a nice girl.”</p><p>A nice girl. And Bucky had just been thinking about… his ma would have his hide. Bucky hid his discomfort by picking up a big chunk of homemade caramel and popping it into his mouth. In mere milliseconds his eyelids fluttered close from the delightful taste. It was a decadent indulgence, to say the least.</p><p>“Enjoy man,” the big green guy instructed with a smile as he left.</p><p>Bucky had just put a second piece in his mouth when Darcy Lewis walked through the room with Dr. Foster and the Parker kid. She smiled at him again, while he chewed on the gooey candy. He tried to swallow the sugary fluid, but it was too juicy, too thick. He was stuck looking like a chipmunk.</p><p>“Killer. Am I right?” She asked as she walked through the room. And then she was gone.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Marshmallows</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fills: Square I1 That tree is bigger than my future<br/>&amp; Square T1 Oh Christmas Groot In A Very Darcy Advent Bingo <br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Jaaaaane! What did I just do??”</p><p>Darcy was bent over, her hands on her knees, practically hyperventilating. Peter was rubbing circles on her back.</p><p>She’d spoken to him.</p><p>For all she knew she’d said his words.</p><p>Jane just kept shrugging.</p><p>For such a smart person, she could be buckets of useless sometimes.</p><p>It was Peter that offered, “I’ll bet he’s relieved.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I mean, those are some <em>awful </em>words. But, now that he knows the context…He’s probably relieved.”</p><p>Finally, Jane spoke up, “Pete is right, Darce. He’s probably been thinking about those words meaning something totally different.</p><p>Peter nodded enthusiastically, “I’ll bet he comes up to you tomorrow and says your words. Then you’ll touch and BAM. Soulmates.”</p><p>Darcy replayed what she had said over and over. ‘Killer, am I right?’ Not a nice thing to a reformed, ex-brainwashed ex-assassin. In her defense, she was talking about her candy being all kinds of amazing. But there was no way he could have known that when he saw those words branded on his skin.</p><p>She felt awful. Really, truly awful.</p><p>“I need to make him some candy. Yeah. He needs candy,” she stood up, finally. And took a deep breath. She headed back to the common room with purpose. She was gonna talk to him again and he was gonna say her words and they were gonna fall desperately in love… yeah.</p><p>Peter looked back at Jane and shrugged, “I hope super soldiers can’t get cavities.”</p><p>But Bucky Barnes wasn’t in the common room. Darcy considered knocking on the door to his apartment to… she wasn’t sure what she was planning on doing. Apologize? Beg for forgiveness? Stand there and wait to see if what he said matched the words on her thigh? Then… show him the words? Find his by stripping his clothes off and then…</p><p>Shit.</p><p>She hadn’t spent five minutes alone with the man and she was mentally undressing him and composing elaborate romantic fantasies. And let’s face it, she’d been doing it since she first read her words. Since she saw the footage of the destroyed Compound and she saw him sitting, exhausted, among the wreckage. She had a hell of a crush. And the fact that she could almost hear him saying the words on her skin hadn’t cooled that crush in the least.</p><p>Darcy sighed, turned around, and headed back into the cold winter wonderland to catch up with Pete and Jane.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>“She said my words,” Bucky said still in a daze.</p><p>Bucky was collapsed on Sam's couch, feeling dumbstruck. He’d fled the common room like it was on fire after she’d said those fateful words to him.</p><p>“And you said hers?” Natasha asked. She was standing in their kitchenette, boiling water in a simple white teapot.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“What?” Natasha looked at Sam with a questioning look, “Do we know if that’s happened? People having mismatched words?”</p><p>“I’m sure it has,” Sam argued, “I mean I’m sure quite a lot of people have simple things on them, like hello, nice to meet you,” he paused for dramatic effect and then added, “Or…hey.”</p><p>“Stop giving me shit about your words, Sam.”</p><p>“Word. Singular. You gave me a word,” he replied teasingly.</p><p>“And you gave me a catchphrase. People think my soulmate is Joey Tribiani.”</p><p>Bucky sighed and dragged his hand down his face. “My words aren’t a catchphrase. They’re…distinctive. It’s Darcy. I know it’s Darcy. She’s my soulmate.”</p><p>“But you didn’t say her words back…” Natasha argued.</p><p>“I didn’t say anything,” Bucky explained.</p><p>“Why the hell not?”</p><p>Bucky gave Sam a look. The ‘I’m completely exasperated look’ he gave him a lot. “Because, Sam. I was shocked. I didn’t think…I didn’t want anyone to say my words.”</p><p>“Can I ask?”</p><p>Bucky hiked up his shirt to reveal the writing scrawled across his lower ribs.</p><p>Sam hissed in a breath and mused, “Surprised you didn’t deck me when I complained about my word.”</p><p>Sam looked back at Natasha in the kitchen to see if she had been able to read them as well.</p><p>Bucky sighed, “Wanna deck you for more reasons than that, Birdbrain.”</p><p>“You want an honest opinion?” Natasha asked.</p><p>“From you? Maybe. From him,” Bucky stuck his thumb out towards Sam, “nope.”</p><p>“Go back down there and talk to her. Say her words, whatever they are, and get it over with.”</p><p>Sam nodded, “Like ripping off a band-aid.”</p><p>“Not a great analogy,” Natasha scolded.</p><p>Sam shrugged, “What?”</p><p>“It’s his soulmate, not a skinned knee.”</p><p>“Just talk to the girl, Barnes,” Sam offered as if was sage advice.</p><p>Natasha handed him a mug full of hot chocolate and gave him a little shoulder squeeze.</p><p>It was the best hot chocolate he’d ever tasted. Rich and sweet, on top, were big, misshapen marshmallows, pillowy and gooey with a smoky, spicy flavor.</p><p>“These marshmallows…” he started to say.</p><p>“Darcy made them,” Sam said with an obnoxious smirk.</p><p>Bucky just groaned and sunk deeper into the couch cushions.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Peter was singing under his breath, “Oh Christmas Groot, Oh Christmas Groot. Which tree shall be our Christmas Groot?”</p><p>“Pete, honey, don’t swing the saw while you walk,” Jane scolded.</p><p>Darcy was distracted but managed to add, “You’ll cut your leg off, kid.”</p><p>Trekking through the woods surrounding the Compound had seemed like fun at the time. But after Darcy had made her verbal blunder she really couldn’t concentrate on the search for the perfect Christmas tree.</p><p>“How about this one?” Jane pointed at a particularly impressive fir.</p><p>“It’s fifteen feet tall!” Darcy protested.</p><p>Peter added, “That tree is bigger than my future.”</p><p>“It’s a big room!” Jane argued.</p><p>“How do you plan to get it back to the Compound?”</p><p>Jane pointed at Parker, “Pete can carry it. He’s got super strength.”</p><p>“Well… I… It’s kind of…awkward…” he argued.</p><p>Darcy sighed, “It’s a night for awkward.”</p><p>“You’re really not into this, are you?” Jane asked with a little more sympathy than she usually had.</p><p>“I’m gonna head back. Why don’t you two find a tree for the lab? Something less than two stories tall? Or at least call Thor to help you carry it.”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>She was beautiful.</p><p>She was soaking wet and her hair was plastered against her face. She had claw marks on her neck. She looked utterly frantic.</p><p>And she was still beautiful.</p><p>She was tossing couch cushions behind her, one right after the other. Leaving a wake of destruction in the common room. The common room that Bucky had only dared to enter because Natasha had bullied him into it.</p><p>She must have heard him shuffle because she looked up. Her eyes met his and her mouth gaped ever so slightly. When she spoke, her voice trembled, “I can’t find my credit card. And I found this little one in the woods. And she needs a vet right now.”</p><p>That’s when Bucky saw the tiny creature, literally nestled in Darcy’s bosom. Big green eyes opened and then shut again, in utter exhaustion. The kitten was probably white. But with all the dirt and the fact that she was soaking wet, it was hard to tell.</p><p>He didn’t even think. He just pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and held out his own credit card to her.</p><p>“I couldn’t…” she protested.</p><p>He took five strides and closed the distance between them. He placed the credit card in her hand and closed her fingers around it. When they touched she let out a little exhale. It was probably just from being cold, he told himself.</p><p>He opened his mouth to say something, anything.</p><p>And then the little kitten violently sneezed. “Shit,” Darcy muttered. “We’re going little one.”</p><p>She was out the door when she yelled back, “I’ll pay you back.”</p><p>She was already to her car when he said, “You don’t have to pay me anything, Doll.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Huckleberry Syrup</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fills: Square G5 “Ugly Avengers Christmas Sweaters” In A Very Darcy Advent Bingo <br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bucky stared at the ceiling, replaying the evening in his head.</p><p>Darcy said the words that he’d been dreading. And it wasn’t anything like he thought. No one was calling him a monster. She had been talking about candy, for chrissakes. It was… nice. Sure, he had a mouthful of caramel at the time, which made it hard to talk to her, to maybe say her words back. But when she came back in, with that little sick kitten, he could have said something. He fantasized that he had said something lovely and profound. He wished he had taken her to the vet himself. That he had cuddled that kitten in his arms, eliciting little coos from Darcy about how adorable he was. After, he could have helped her set up supplies for the little one. Maybe they could have fallen asleep together on the couch, watching some cooking show.</p><p>Instead, he was sprawled on his own couch, one leg hanging off. The television was turned down low, but the flickering lights made patterns on the ceiling.</p><p>He could hear the footsteps in the hallway before she knocked.</p><p>Bucky froze.</p><p>Darcy’s voice was a little muffled, “Hey. It’s Darcy. I was just returning your credit card.”</p><p>She paused.</p><p>“You’re probably asleep.”</p><p>The card slid under his door with the emergency veterinary clinic’s receipt. He was still frozen on his couch. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest.</p><p>It made no sense. He’d heard his words. He had nothing to fear from them anymore.</p><p>What was wrong with him?</p><hr/><p> </p><p>“You have a complex,” Sam said, half-teasing.</p><p>“Is that a medical diagnosis?” Bucky shot back.</p><p>“Nope. Just deep insights into the mind of one James Barnes. Idiot and masochist,” Sam flipped a pancake in the air.</p><p>Natasha snapped a rolled-up kitchen towel at Sam and scolded, “Be nice.”</p><p>Bucky sipped on his coffee and then sighed, “I hate you, Sam.”</p><p>“I know you do.”</p><p>Sam slid a huge plate of eggs, sausage, and those pancakes across the little breakfast bar to Bucky.</p><p>“Dig in, man.”</p><p>Who would have thought that his favorite place in the entire compound would be Sam’s apartment? Sam had actually decorated the place. He had a big, plush leather sofa and lots of cream-colored knit throws. Over the fireplace, he had a painting Steve had done. There were framed photos everywhere. It was warm and inviting. Unlike Bucky’s place which was completely unadorned.</p><p>Bucky took a big forkful of fluffy pancakes drenched in what he had initially thought was raspberry or blueberry syrup. The sweetness exploded on his tongue followed by the tiniest bit of tang. He took another bite and savored the taste. It was more wild than a raspberry. Sweeter than a blueberry.</p><p>“What is this?”</p><p>“Huckleberry,” Sam answered.</p><p>“It’s amazing,” Bucky admitted, taking another huge forkful.</p><p>“Darcy made it,” Sam pretended to casually comment.</p><p>Bucky almost choked.</p><p>Nat was right there, alternating between rubbing small circles on Bucky’s back and gently patting. “Stop making fun of him, Sam. You don’t know what he’s going through.”</p><p>“I don’t know what it’s like to be terrified of my soulmate?” Sam laughed, “Baby girl, I am terrified of mine every single day.”</p><p>“You’re freaking hilarious,” She drily replied. Then she added, “You gonna show him or what?”</p><p>“Show me what?” Bucky asked with a mixture of suspicion and amusement.</p><p>Sam strutted to his bedroom, stopping to turn halfway there and chuckle in Bucky’s direction.</p><p>Nat squeezed Bucky’s shoulder in reassurance.</p><p>“Nat, what is he up to?”</p><p>“Relax, it’s not too nefarious.”</p><p>Sam hopped out of his bedroom and held up a monstrosity of a sweater. “TA DA!”</p><p>Bucky let the laugh bubble up, “What the hell is that?”</p><p>Sam looked down at the sweater and then up with a smile. It was red and blue with a Captain America Shield on the front. Sticking out from the sides of the shield were two very ‘Falcon-like’ wings. And on the top of the shield, there were reindeer antlers with Christmas lights wound around them. The rest of the sweater and the sleeves were encircled by alternating holly leaves and purple cartoon birds that were probably falcons.</p><p>“It’s a Falcon ugly Christmas sweater!”</p><p>Bucky looked up at Natasha and asked, “I’m sure there is a joke in there somewhere.”</p><p>“It’s too easy,” she drawled.</p><p>“We’re having an ugly sweater party,” Sam explained.</p><p>“And you’re wearing that?”</p><p>“No, Buckaroo, you are wearing this,” Sam tossed the sweater at him.</p><p>“I am not…”</p><p>Natasha interrupted, “Darcy planned the party. She’s working really hard on it. You wouldn’t want to disappoint her, would you?”</p><p>Bucky let out a long-suffering sigh, “Why am I friends with you two again?”</p><p>They just looked at him expectantly. They really didn’t even need to say anything else. He knew exactly what he should be doing right now. So Bucky shoved another syrup-soaked pancake in his mouth, and with it completely full he said, almost unintelligibly, “Gonna go talk to Darcy.”</p><p>He ignored the high five his friends made behind his back.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>She was moving past him like a bat out of hell.</p><p>Bucky was pretty sure that Darcy didn’t notice anyone at that moment. Her hair was up in the sloppiest bun he’d ever seen on a woman. Her face was clean of makeup. She was in a t-shirt that had some sort of white crusty stains on it and pajama bottoms. Her feet were bare but he could see shoes and presumably, a change of clothes in the bag slung over her shoulder.</p><p>She was talking to the squalling creature in her hand, “I know, I know. But you made me so, so late. I’m so late. No sleep at all…”</p><p>The kitten had a death grip with its claws on the large oral syringe full of formula, and it was greedily attempting to eat. With each of Darcy’s steps, it pulled a little away from the little one’s mouth and it screamed out a protest, setting Darcy off on a fresh rant about being late.</p><p>By the time he got up the courage to approach her, she was gone.</p><p>In her wake, she left Bucky feeling completely besotted with that adorable cyclone of a woman.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Sugar Plums</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fills: Square Square T 3 “Did everyone else come with a date?” In A Very Darcy Advent Bingo <br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Wow,” Jane commented as Darcy flopped down into her office chair. “You look…really shitty.”</p><p>“Thanks, Jane.”</p><p>The little kitten somehow got enough formula in the trek across the common areas to the lab and was now sleeping heavily.</p><p>“What is that?” Jane asked, noticing the kitty for the first time.</p><p>“It’s an octopus, Jane.” Darcy held up her hands for examination. She had teeny tiny little scratches all over them from the kitten’s aggressive eating habits, “An octopus with claws on each of its eight legs. Or maybe a banshee.”</p><p>Darcy’s head slowly lowered until her forehead was resting on the desk surface and she admitted, “I’m so tired.”</p><p>Jane reached for the kitten and Darcy’s head shot back up, “You wake that demon and I swear to god I will end you, Jane Foster.”</p><p>Jane scooped up the little kitten and cooed, “Oh so cute. Oh my god. Look at her.”</p><p>“Him. It’s a him. And he’s a bottomless pit. He’s hungry every two hours. I didn’t sleep at all.”</p><p>“Where’d you find him?”</p><p>“On the way back from our Christmas tree hunt. Bucky gave me his credit card to pay for the vet. I have to pay him back…”</p><p>If Jane had been a dog, her ears would have pricked up, “You talked to Bucky? Did he say your words?”</p><p>“I talked. He didn’t. He just handed me his credit card.”</p><p>“He’s so sweet…you have to get him to say something to you. I have to know if we were right about your words.”</p><p>“Janey, for the first time since our words appeared, I don’t give a damn who says them. All I care about is feeding the hell beast and sleeping.”</p><p>“I can take care of him for a bit. Go get some sleep,” Jane had pretty much already dismissed Darcy. She was tickling the hairs on the kitten’s belly.</p><p>Darcy thought about it. Jane was scattered on the best day. Then again, the little demon wasn’t about to let her forget about him. And she was sooo tired.</p><p>“His formula is in the bag. He needs his antibiotics in an hour. Good luck. You’ll need it.”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>Darcy wandered down to the common room. Except it wasn’t the common room. It was all wrong. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Women in glittering gowns were being twirled by men in tuxedos as the orchestra played the Forest of Fir Trees in Winter from the Nutcracker. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Darcy muttered to herself, “Did everyone else come with a date?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Snow began to fall inside the ballroom from an endless sky that was simultaneously the ceiling of the room. Darcy crossed her arms over her sleep shirt. But she wasn’t cold. She curled her bare toes into the snow and then stepped back to the warm fur that was next to the fireplace that had appeared where she had originally entered the ballroom.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She didn’t think about how unusual it all was. She didn’t think about how wrong and strange it all felt.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She was focused on one thing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bucky approached her with a cool confidence. There was a little swagger to his walk. And when he was in front of her he cocked his head to the side and bit his lower lip while his gaze appraised her. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He didn’t seem bothered by her sleep attire, even though women in designer dresses swirled around the room like elegant jewels. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He extended one hand to her and she took it. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He turned her hand just so and bent over to place a tender kiss in the center of her palm. His eyes sparkled with mirth like he enjoyed teasing her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Still holding her hand, he took one step back and said huskily, “Dance with me.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Darcy’s heart sank, “No. Oh no. Those aren’t my words.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He smirked again like he had a secret that the two of them shared, “Of course they are, Dollface.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He glanced down at her leg, where her words were barely hidden by her sleep shirt. Except… it wasn’t. She was in a red glittery dress that ended at mid-thigh. With an impertinent grin, he reached for her hip, slid his hand down, and lifted the hem on her skirt enough to reveal her words. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Across her thigh, her words had been replaced with, ‘Dance with me.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He stepped in close to her, his breath warming her lips, “You know I’m yours, Darcy.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He closed the distance between their lips and then… the fire alarm went off.</em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Darcy groaned and fumbled for her phone.</p><p>“Oh my god, Jane… I am gonna kill you for waking me up. I was having the best dream…”</p><p>“I lost him.”</p><p>Darcy sat upright in shock, “He died?”</p><p>She felt her eyes began to sting and she felt like she was going to vomit. The vet had warned her that the little kitten could turn on a dime. She’d even admonished Darcy not to name him. But he had seemed to be doing so well.</p><p>“No… of course not. He’s fine. He’s just…somewhere in the lab.”</p><p>Darcy sighed. Finding a one-pound hell-beast in Jane’s disaster of a lab was not how she had intended to spend her day. Darcy treasured that last bit of sleep she had just had. Because she knew that for the next few days she wouldn’t get more than three hours at a time.</p><p>Clearly, she needed a better kitten nanny.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Snowballs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fills: Square T2 “Shield” and square I4 “snowman competition” In A Very Darcy Advent Bingo <br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you've already read Puppuccinos... I sincerely apologize. This chapter was supposed to precede it. So... read this one... then reread Puppuccinos.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>He’d been lurking around the common room for a few days. It had taken a lot of bravery on Bucky’s part. But Sam was right. He needed to just talk to the girl.</p><p>Eventually the buildup was becoming more anxiety inducing than talking to her probably would be.</p><p>So, he gave up and headed for Jane Foster’s lab. But when he was faced with the decision to turn left to Foster’s lab or to turn right to Banner’s, Bucky froze.</p><p>The big man himself came around the corner with a spring in his step.</p><p>“Hey, Barnes. You looking for Darcy?”</p><p>“No! Why would I be? I mean…” he took a deep breath and admitted, “Kind of…”  </p><p>Bruce gave him a strange smile and looked Bucky up and down like he was appraising him for something.</p><p>“Darcy said you helped pay for her kitten’s vet bill. She’s gonna pay you back.”</p><p>Bucky shook his head, “M’not looking for her for that. Just…I wanted to check on the kitten. See how it was doing.” He was lying, of course. But what was he gonna say?</p><p>“Well… it’s doing well. Round the clock feedings. Not unlike a newborn I suppose. Darcy hasn’t even gotten a chance to get anything beyond the necessities for the little thing. Jane sent her back to her apartment to get some shut eye. I can tell her you were looking for her.”</p><p>“No!” Bucky felt himself panic. No. He needed more time. Suddenly it was all too much. His pulse started to race and he knew his face was flushing.</p><p>“Hey, no rush man,” Banner soothed, “It’ll happen when it happens…”</p><p>“Uh huh…” Bucky made a hasty retreat and nearly barreled into Pepper Potts.</p><p>“Sorry! Sorry!”</p><p>The first time Bucky had come face to face with Pepper, he wanted to crawl under a rock. She’d built the compound with Stark industries money, insisting it would have been Tony’s wish. She and her daughter had moved in as soon as it was livable. She’d basically become the CEO of the Avengers and she was running the place with both efficiency and kindness.</p><p>He still couldn’t believe she’d wanted him here.</p><p>He couldn’t believe she wanted him around her daughter. But somehow, that trust had done quite a lot to heal his soul.</p><p>Oblivious to Bucky’s distress, Morgan Stark tugged on his hand, his left one, and quite guilelessly asked, “You want to go sledding?”</p><p>Pepper let out a little laugh and then asked, “You want to? She’s managed to rope Sam, Natasha, Rhodey and Wanda in as well.”</p><p>“And Dr. Foster!” Morgan added.</p><p>Bucky felt his pulse begin to race again and he swallowed hard, “And, um… Darcy?”</p><p>Pepper shook her head and explained, “Jane says she’s sound asleep.”</p><p>“She got a baby kitten!”</p><p>Morgan was still pulling on his arm. Bucky knelt as he told her, “I know, I saw the kitten. She was really sick.”</p><p>“But Darcy is making her better,” Morgan insisted with all the wisdom of a little girl. “So are you coming?”</p><p>“I am. But I need to steal something from Sam’s room first.”</p><p>With a little head tilt, Pepper asked, “What are you up to?”</p><p>“I think a certain shield may make a very good sled.”</p><p> </p><p>Darcy jerked awake when she heard a scream outside her window.</p><p>It took a few minutes, and a few more screams to realize that they were screams of joy, not ones of distress.</p><p>As soon as she stirred, the kitten started squalling.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, you’re hungry. I know,” she muttered as she padded from her bedroom to the kitchen.</p><p>She warmed up the formula while the little kitten stood on the counter, its fur puffed up and its tail up. He pounced and puffed and hopped across the counter.</p><p>“Yeah, you’re a little badass.”</p><p>She picked him up and carried him to the window seat, where he suckled down the formula greedily.</p><p>She sat there, cross-legged with a throw over her shoulders and big thick socks on her feet, the cool glass gave her a little chill. But the scene below warmed her heart.</p><p>The Avengers… all of them, Thor, the Falcon, the Black Widow, Ant-man, the Wasp, War Machine, the Hulk, Spider-man, Scarlet Witch and the Winter Soldier were playing in the snow with Tony Stark’s daughter.</p><p>Sitting in two chairs, almost directly below Darcy, Jane, Pepper and Peter’s Aunt May were huddled under blankets.</p><p>She watched with a smile on her face as Natasha went zipping down a hill on Cap’s shield. Peter followed on a different saucer sled, yelling the whole way down. Sam and Bucky were egging them on and occasionally tossing snowballs at each other.</p><p>Wanda and Thor seemed to be having a snowman competition with Bruce and Morgan. No contest, really, Bruce and Morgan’s was huge. He picked her up so she could stick a carrot in the top to act as its nose.</p><p>In her lap, the kitten had eaten it’s fill and it was sleeping, its little paws twitching as it slept.</p><p>She almost ducked and hid when Bucky’s gaze seemed to drift up to her window. Then she remembered that he couldn’t see inside, so she rested her head against the wall behind her and admired him. He was beautiful. His lips and cheeks were reddened from the cold and when Morgan came barreling towards him, he picked her up and swung her around.</p><p>She almost went down there. But if she did, she wouldn’t be able to watch so freely. So, she laid the kitten on a blanket, made herself a cup of hot chocolate and went back to the window to watch some more.</p><p>When the group came in for the evening, Darcy padded back towards the kitchen, pulled out chocolate cake mix and started baking.</p><p> </p><p>Bucky’s cheeks hurt from smiling. He laid in his bed with his hands resting under the back of his head and his feet crossed at the ankles.</p><p>She’d been watching him.</p><p>The privacy film on the windows prevented the average person from looking into the windows of the compound. But he wasn’t the average person. He’d seen her, with her hair cascading down around the long sweater she’d been wearing. He wasn’t sure if underneath she had been wearing shorts or a skirt, but he was mesmerized by the little glimpse of thigh he could see above the top of her over-the-knee socks. She was smiling, and watching them. Watching him.</p><p>It had been a damned good night.</p><p>He drifted off to sleep dreaming of her.</p><p>They were dancing in the snow. It was falling all around him. From nowhere and everywhere he could hear the music from the Nutcracker suite. She was in a red coat that swirled around her knees and he whispered to her, “Your dance card is full from now on, Doll.”</p><p> </p><p>There was a pile of coconut confections in the common room when Bucky passed through. A little sign in the same writing that was on his soulmark announced, “For the winners of the best snowman! And the rest of you too, I guess.” It wasn’t signed but there was a little happy face.</p><p>He picked it up and bit into it.</p><p>Bucky let out an audible moan.</p><p>He ignored the snicker from Hope over in the corner. Scott offered up, “good stuff, huh?”</p><p>He ignored that too. He just closed his eyes and let the textures and tastes overwhelm him. A thick marshmallow coating was dusted in perfect, fresh, shaved coconut. The marshmallow pulled away a bit, revealing a decadent devil’s food cake. It was spongy and sweet and heavenly. Inside was a vanilla cream that literally melted on his tongue. He didn’t know what this confection was called, but it was amazing.</p><p>She had made this. With her own hands. With love and care and… damn it. He was going to do it this time. He was going to talk to her.</p><p>He steeled himself and made his way to the lab.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Puppuccinos</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fills: Square Square T 4 “Twinkle”  In A Very Darcy Advent Bingo<br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you've already read Puppuccinos... I sincerely apologize. There was a chapter that was supposed to precede it. So...go back... read Snowballs...then reread Puppuccinos.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bucky opened the door to Jane Foster’s lab and was promptly met by Thor making a “shush” gesture with his finger over his lips.</p><p>He gestured to Bucky to step back into the hallway with him and then let out a hearty chuckle.</p><p>“It seems my lady love has indulged in too much of a human concoction called ‘rum’ with lady Pepper last night. She’s asleep in her office.”</p><p>“Actually, I came to talk to Darcy?”</p><p>“Ah,” Thor guided him to another window to the lab and gestured towards Darcy. She was asleep with her head on her desk. Her kitten was laying on the back of Darcy’s neck, curled up in a ball.</p><p>“Her young charge has kept her awake much of the night,” Thor explained. “She expressed interest in obtaining a stronger source of sustenance for the creature. But alas she has succumbed to her exhaustion.”</p><p>“I’ll do it. I can do that for her.”</p><p>Thor’s hand came down hard onto Bucky’s shoulder, “You are a good man, friend James.”</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“Thank you for doing this with me,” Bucky said to Wanda. He offered her his arm as they walked down the sidewalk. Wanda grinned and shook her head a bit. He was going to offer an explanation about old habits dying hard. But she slipped her arm into his and bumped his arm with her shoulder affectionately.</p><p>“Of course. I’m glad you finally came into town with me.”</p><p>They stepped into the pet store and Bucky was entranced.</p><p>Parrots and other birds chirped and played. Little hamsters and mice ran on wheels. Three children surrounded a store employee who was holding the biggest rabbit Bucky had ever seen. Aquariums were on every wall except for one, and that one housed tanks with lizards and frogs.</p><p>In the center of the store was a veritable kitten wonderland. A dozen cat playgrounds were grouped together and kittens, much older than Darcy’s, scampered and played. A rather large sign exclaimed in colorful letters, ‘Adopt-Don’t-Shop!’ and underneath it was the announcement that the kittens and the giant rabbit were from the local shelter, as were two birdcages.</p><p>Wanda stopped and admired one of the cages of birds. A little grey bird with yellow feathers on its head hung upside down and wolf-whistled at her. She giggled with delight and wiggled her fingers at the bird before she declared, “Little flirt.”</p><p>An employee approached and asked Bucky, “How can I help you today?”</p><p>“Um,” Bucky found himself tense. He’d gone so long without speaking to strangers, for fear that he’d hear his words, that he’d almost forgotten how. “My friend got a kitten…a few days ago. And I thought…I think she needs things for it. Toys and stuff.”</p><p>He handed her the receipt that Darcy had slipped under the door. “Here’s what she has.”</p><p>The employee examined the receipt closely. “Poor baby has pneumonia? That’s terrible. Are you sure she’s gonna be okay?”</p><p>Bucky had thought about that already, buying a gift for a kitten that wasn’t going to make it would have been cruel. But he pointed out on the receipt the vet’s notes, “Yeah. That was earlier this week and the vet said the prognosis is good. And I asked Tho.. a friend how the kitten was doing today. So…”</p><p>“Okay! Well, she only bought kitten formula, but the notes say that she’s almost five weeks. So canned food would be the first thing I’d recommend. And she didn’t buy very much cat litter. Or a litter box, I bet it is using a cardboard box. And no toys.”</p><p>“Can you…?” Bucky shrugged at the woman, “Can you load me up with what my friend needs? Food, litter. And I’d like to get her some toys. And maybe one of those…?” He pointed at the playsets that the kittens were frolicking on.</p><p>“Do you have a budget in mind?”</p><p>“No. Whatever she needs,” he tried to hand the woman his credit card.</p><p>She waved it off with, “You can pay up at the front. You’re like an awesome friend.”</p><p>He turned around to see Wanda looking at him with a bemused expression. One eyebrow was arched up and she was absently tapping one foot.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You can’t buy her affection, Bucky.”</p><p>“I wasn’t…shit… will she think that?” He felt a little sick, as his heart sank into his gut.</p><p>“I will rein in the salesperson, and you…” she gestured back towards a table in the corner with a plastic sign hanging from it that proclaimed, ‘ADOPTION EVENT!’.</p><p>“You go play with the puppies and stay out of trouble.”</p><p>Wanda patted his arm as she walked by and he gave her a half-smile. He was glad he brought her. Sam would have bought everything in sight too. And Natasha would have bought the bare minimum. Wanda was able to help Bucky negotiate a happy medium. It was funny, he had never had money. And he still was reluctant to spend it on himself. But there was something about seeing that little helpless creature in the care of his soulmate. He wanted to help…</p><p>
  <em>“Money can’t buy happiness,” Pepper told him. Then she slid a credit card and a handful of papers across her desk, “But it can buy security. And after everything you’ve been through. You deserve a little of that.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bucky looked through the papers in disbelief, “What is this?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She matter-of-factly explained, “A full pardon and back pay for your time as a POW. Plus, Tony made some investments.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He put the papers back down on the desk and pushed them back towards her, “I can’t...”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She promptly pushed them back, “Don’t say you can’t accept this. It’s done.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She looked at him with a softness in her eyes and a faint smile on her face. But underneath that softness, he could detect a woman made of steel. And he decided against arguing with her. Still, the question slipped out, “Why?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her smile widened as she shrugged, “Tony said he liked busting Ross’s balls but... Tony could be impulsive and reckless. But when he sat down and really focused, he usually did the right thing.”</em>
</p><p>Bucky was knocked out of his reverie, quite literally. A slender fuzzy head pushed hard against his knee and Bucky reached down to steady himself… with his left hand.</p><p>“Shit,” he muttered and shoved his hand back in his pocket.</p><p>But the shelter volunteer smiled at him and offered, “My wife was gone in the blip.”</p><p>Bucky nodded, unsure of how to respond.</p><p>The man took it in stride and asked, “You looking for a pet? A dog?”</p><p>“Oh…no… I was just, wandering. A friend of mine just got a kitten.”</p><p>The man gave a half-smile and admitted, “The kittens are easy to place. Puppies too. The older ones, the ones that have special needs, they’re harder. Like, Holly and Blizzard here. They’ve been looking for a new home for a while now.”</p><p>Bucky knelt down and offered his flesh hand for one of the dogs to sniff. Instead, she took her long snout and nosed his hand until it was resting on her head.</p><p>“She’s beautiful,” Bucky murmured, more to himself than to the volunteer. The dog was a familiar breed, maybe a collie, with her slim elegant nose and thick coat. She was a pretty pale sable with an abundant white ruff. The other dog was larger, white with a black head and a few large black patches.</p><p>“Are they collies?” Bucky asked.</p><p>“Yep. Their owner was put in a nursing home. The little girl here is terrified of storms, loud noises, you name it. She’s okay if she has her buddy. And she’s just as sweet as she can be and smart as a whip. But, people don’t want to deal with her issues.”</p><p>“People don’t want to deal with her issues,” Bucky repeated to himself.</p><p>
  <em>“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about, James,” Pepper said before he left her office. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Bucky,” he corrected.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Bucky,” Pepper smiled warmly in return. “I know that you are speaking to someone about all of the things you have been through.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“More than one someone,” Bucky admitted.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Well, I’m no professional, but if you ever need to borrow an ear…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Thank you, Ms. Potts.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Pepper.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He smiled similarly to her, “Pepper.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“When Tony was in therapy his therapist recommended something that I think may really help you.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yeah?” Bucky politely responded. He was sure that whatever new-fangled fancy-pants therapist that Tony had gone to probably wouldn’t be right for him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I think you should consider getting a dog, Bucky.”</em>
</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>They should have brought one of the SUVs instead of the car. In the trunk, they had managed to stuff a case of canned kitten food and a litter box for Darcy’s kitten. The rest they would have to have delivered. Because the remainder of the trunk was full of Bucky and Wanda’s purchases.</p><p>In Wanda’s lap, her adopted cockatiel was whistling “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” as loud as it probably could.</p><p>And behind Bucky, Holly and Blizzard were enjoying their ride to their new home. On the way, they stopped and got the dogs some cups of whipped cream from the coffee shop.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Candy Canes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fills: Square I3 “How many Christmas lights does one person need?” In A Very Darcy Advent Bingo <br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Reminder that I posted a chapter out of order. You may want to go back and read Snowballs, then Puppuccinos</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Darcy snorted herself awake and then frowned at the puddle of drool on the surface of her desk.</p><p>Her movement jostled the kitten who had fallen asleep on the back of her neck. He hopped down onto the desk and then looked up at her with an adorable face and let out a questioning, “meep?”</p><p>“I know, you’re hungry again. I need to go to the pet store and get you some kitten food.”</p><p>“No need, Lady Darcy,” Thor’s booming voice actually made her jump a bit. Then she noticed the smell…</p><p>She crinkled her nose and almost asked what it was when Thor put down a saucer of canned kitten food mixed with formula.</p><p>The little one made an unholy mess, standing in the food and sticking his whole face in it, but he wasn’t screaming, so that was a plus.</p><p>“Your little charge has everything he needs. It was delivered just this afternoon.”</p><p>“What? I….”</p><p>Jane came marching in just then, dropped a duffel bag at Darcy’s feet and announced. “Anomalous readings in Saskatchewan. Rhodes is flying us. Wheels up in five. Let’s go.”</p><p>“Wha…?”</p><p>“Fear not, for I have been placed in the role of ‘kitten-sitter.’ I shall keep you apprised of his progress.”</p><p>Jane was already out the door and yelled from the hallway, “Darcy! Move!”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Morgan Stark was having the best day.</p><p>Bucky knew that was true because she kept saying it through the candy cane that had seemingly permanently attached itself to her lips. Peppermint drips had landed on her shirt and her fingers were probably a little bit sticky. She was throwing a tennis ball to Bucky’s new dog, the big male, Blizzard. They’d both go careening through the common room after it. Pepper would scold her not to run with the candy cane in her mouth and Morgan would pull it out with the same hand that had been holding the dog drool covered tennis ball. A few minutes later the candy cane would go right back into her mouth. It was kind of gross, honestly. And Bucky cringed each time.</p><p>Meanwhile, Pepper was sitting cross legged on the floor with the little female, taking a brush to her coat.</p><p>“You didn’t have to call me and ask for permission, Bucky,” Pepper lightly scolded.</p><p>“Yeah, I did.”</p><p>“I need to push the contractors to finish up your cottage. These babies need a yard,” then she bent over to baby talk Holly, “Yes you do, you need a yard. Don’t you, Holly the collie?”</p><p>Bucky let out a little laugh when Pepper looked up at him and scrunched up her nose at the rhymey name.</p><p>“You need better names,” she insisted.</p><p>“I dunno. Kind of like them, to be honest.”</p><p>“Well… I don’t know how Morgan feels but I think that we volunteer to be their dog-sitters when you are away.”</p><p>She regarded him thoughtfully and added, “You are going to have to be around more now that you have them.”</p><p>“Yeah. That’s the plan.”</p><p>Bliz let out a little warning bark, and Pepper and Bucky turned their heads to see Sam and Natasha approaching.</p><p>Natasha looked bemused. But Sam was beaming.</p><p>“Wanda told me but I didn’t <em>believe it</em>!”</p><p>Sam was soon on the floor being mobbed by the dogs while Morgan laughed and joined in.</p><p>Pepper looked on with a smile while Natasha took pictures.</p><p>Bucky sat back on the sofa and watched the mayhem. The room smelled like the goulash that Wanda had been simmering for dinner. Little Holly hopped up on the sofa next to him and placed her head on his thigh and let out a sigh of contentment. For a minute he reveled in it. Until the little voice in his head told him he didn’t deserve any of it.</p><p>Holly whined and nudged his hand. She looked up at him with adoration and he rubbed her ear. And as he pet her he felt a little bit warmer, and safer, happier. He hadn’t felt like this in…forever. Not even in Wakanda. Everyone seemed content and relaxed, at least until Wanda sat down on the couch with a sigh.</p><p>“Something on your mind, little one?” Natasha asked.</p><p>“No…it’s juvenile.”</p><p>Natasha arched an eyebrow Wanda’s way.</p><p>Wanda sighed again and explained, “Darcy, Peter and I were going to decorate tonight. For the holiday.”</p><p>Almost on cue, Thor burst into the room and announced, “I have felled a tree for my Lady Jane. Where will it stand?”</p><p>On his shoulder, Darcy’s kitten was precariously placed, digging its claws into Thor’s coat and looking a little terrified. The dogs immediately went over to Thor to greet him enthusiastically. Bucky wasn’t sure if they were just bad watch dogs or if Thor gave off some kind of energy. Still, Bucky jumped up and plucked the kitten off of Thor’s shoulder. Down the hallway he could see Peter Parker holding the top of a very large evergreen. The stump was at Thor’s feet.</p><p>“What?” Pepper asked, utterly confused.</p><p>Bucky snuggled the kitten close and then handed him off to Wanda. Morgan rushed to her side to ooh and ahh over the kitten.</p><p>“They have a Christmas tree,” Bucky explained.</p><p>“Ohhh! Wait.. they?”</p><p>Down the hallway, Peter called out, his voice muted and echo-y, “Hi Miss Potts.”</p><p>“Are we decorating the tree?” Morgan asked with glee.</p><p>Morgan’s eyes were on Bucky, not her mother. He knelt down and said, “Why don’t we decorate the rest of the room tonight? I think Darcy wants to decorate the tree.”</p><p>“Okay,” the child shrugged and promptly turned her attention back to Darcy’s kitten.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>“I said I was sorry,” Jane insisted.</p><p>“I don’t blame you for dragging me off to Canada, Jane.”</p><p>“Really? Because you kind of look like you’re blaming for dragging you off to Canada.”</p><p>From the pilot’s seat of the jet, Rhodey piped up, “For what it’s worth, I was dragged off to Canada too.”</p><p>Darcy let out a very childlike whine, “We were gonna trim the tree tonight…”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Bucky stared at the room in complete disbelief. An entire corner of the lab was filled with Christmas decorations. “I think there are twenty boxes of just candy canes.”</p><p>Sam voiced the same sentiment, “How many Christmas lights does one person need?”</p><p>“It is a big room,” Bucky argued.</p><p>“And a big tree,” Sam agreed. “Should we feel bad that we left Peter to help Thor?”</p><p>Bucky shook his head and reached down to pet Holly on the head, “Nah. I don’t feel bad.”</p><p>Sam muttered, “No one likes candy canes.”</p><p>“You grab the candy canes, Sam. I’ll get the garland and lights.”</p><p>“No one likes candy canes, Bucky,” Sam repeated.</p><p>“Clearly Darcy does. Grab the candy canes, Sam.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chocolate Fudge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fills: Square Square S2  “How did you get tangled in tinsel?”  In A Very Darcy Advent Bingo <br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ladies and gentlemen, we have communication!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“How did you manage to get tangled in tinsel?” Natasha scolded.</p><p>Bucky quickly surveyed the room for the two dogs. The kitten was still asleep, tucked in the crook of his elbow. The dogs were innocent too, both had crashed in front of the fireplace. Exhausted from their eventful day.</p><p>“I don’t know, but it’s everywhere! This stuff is not safe.”</p><p>Wanda let out a musical laugh at Sam’s predicament.  </p><p>The room was almost completely decorated, and they’d managed to put the tree up and were putting the lights on. Bucky almost protested that the lights should wait for Darcy, but Natasha insisted that no one liked putting on the lights anyway.</p><p>Pepper had taken Morgan back to their cottage on the Compound after the girl had fallen asleep on the couch.</p><p>“More lights over there, Banner,” Thor instructed.</p><p>“No, on the right,” Peter corrected.</p><p>Banner glared at them both. “Why don’t you do it yourselves?”</p><p>Peter glanced over to Wanda and gestured, indicating that she could be using her powers to put the lights on the tree.</p><p>“Nope,” she shook her head. “That ruins the fun.”</p><p>“But it’s not fun!” Banner insisted.</p><p>Wanda laughed again.</p><p>She then looked over at Bucky and grinned, “You gonna put that little one down? Your dogs won’t hurt him.”</p><p>“I just… he’s Darcy’s. I don’t want anything to happen to him.”</p><p>“Mmm hmm,” she murmured knowingly.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Thor isn’t answering for me, either,” Jane admitted.</p><p>Darcy let out a little squeak, like she was thinking about whining and stopped herself.</p><p>“Sam isn’t either,” Darcy dropped her phone on the desk in the outpost observatory.</p><p>“You could call, Bucky…”</p><p>“I don’t have his number. Don’t be an ass, Jane.”</p><p>Rhodes sighed, “I’m sure your kitten is fine, Darcy. Thor was a king, remember? He looked after an entire kingdom so I’m sure that one little kitten…”</p><p>“Rhodey,” Darcy scolded, “Think about what you just said.”</p><p>“Okay you have a point.”</p><p>She batted her eyes at him and asked, “Could you try Natasha? Please? While I try Wanda?”</p><p>Rhodey rolled his eyes a bit, but complied.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Wanda…you’ve really become an amazing chef,” Sam said as he ladled goulash into his bowl.</p><p>“That’s your third bowl, Sam,” Natasha noted.</p><p>“So…I’m a growing boy.”</p><p>Bucky leaned over and said to Wanda, who was sitting on the floor, rubbing Blizzard’s belly, “We really do appreciate your cooking, sweet pea.”</p><p>Wanda beamed up at him and then brightened even more, “I almost forgot!”</p><p>Blizzard looked down right heartbroken when Wanda abandoned him, looking down his long nose at Bucky with despair. Bucky sighed and slid off the couch onto the floor to take her place.</p><p>He watched his fingers run through the thick fur, disappearing into the soft, plush snowy white coat. The dog let out a sigh of utter contentment, making Bucky smile softly to himself. He was almost startled when Wanda presented a familiar box with a little red ribbon.  </p><p>“This is a gift from Darcy.”</p><p>“What? She gave me a gift?”</p><p>From across the room, Sam replied with his mouth full of chocolate, “She gave all of us a gift. You ain't special.”</p><p>Bucky pulled the ribbon off to reveal a block of chocolate fudge.</p><p>“Ignore him, Bucky. You are special,” she settled in the spot on the couch that Bucky had vacated, sitting just behind him. “Darcy made yours without walnuts because you don't like them.”</p><p>He recalled the night that Darcy had been making candy with Wanda while he watched from the balcony. They must have made it on that night.</p><p>“How would she know that, sweetpea?”</p><p>“I told her.” Wanda then smiled a little slyly and added, “Plus she probably knows that deep down in her very <em>soul</em>…”</p><p>Bucky narrowed his eyes and scowled at her, “Sam told you?”</p><p>“Well it wasn’t me,” Natasha said as she curled up in the armchair.</p><p>Sam plopped down next to Wanda on the couch, with the bowl of goulash in one hand and the box of fudge in the other. He remarked, “You could at least thank the girl for going to the extra trouble for you. Or did they not have manners back in WW2?”</p><p>“Shuddup, Wilson.”</p><p>“Gimme your phone,” Natasha instructed.</p><p>Bucky handed it over and Natasha entered something into it.</p><p>“Her phone number,” Natasha explained, “Call her.”</p><p>Instead, in a rather cowardly move, Bucky texted, <strong>‘Thanks for the chocolate fudge. It's delicious. Bucky.’</strong></p><p>Bucky stared at the phone, waiting for little dots that told him she was replying.</p><p>Then Wanda asked, very quietly, “What if texts count?”</p><p>Bucky felt his body flush with heat and he whispered, “What?”</p><p>“Her words...what if they're…?”</p><p>Sam snorted, “Thanks for the chocolate fudge!” Then the bastard started to laugh.</p><p>“Shuddup Wilson!”</p><p>Bucky watched the three little dots that had appeared. Sick with anticipation he waited. Would they say that he'd texted her words? He hoped not.</p><p>
  <strong>‘You're welcome! Wanda gave you the ones without walnuts, right?’</strong>
</p><p>Bucky sighed in relief and typed back, <strong>‘Yeah. She did.’</strong></p><hr/><p> </p><p>Darcy stared at the phone and tried to fight off the tears, “They aren’t my words…”</p><p>“What?” A distracted Jane asked.</p><p>Darcy held out her phone and Jane took it, took a single look at it, then handed it back. Offhand she told her, “It’s a text. Of course they aren’t your words.”</p><p>Darcy let out a little hitch that would have been a sob if Jane had said anything else.</p><p>Jane rolled her eyes at her and scolded, “Do you even listen when Bruce talks? All of his research says that the words are in your primary form of communication and language. Do you think Bucky’s primary form of communication is text?”</p><p>Darcy wiped the stray tears from her cheeks, “Why am I crying? This is ridiculous.”</p><p>“Answer him.”</p><p>From the corner of the room, Rhodes piped up, “I feel like I’m missing something.”</p><p>“Darcy and I think Bucky is her soulmate.”</p><p>Darcy was texting Bucky back, <strong>‘You’re welcome! Wanda gave you the ones without walnuts, right?’</strong></p><p>“Why would you think that?” Rhodes asked.</p><p>Darcy was transfixed by her phone and the fact that she was actually having some form of communication with Bucky, but she absently lifted the hem on her knit dress (and the cardigan that was actually longer than the dress) enough to reveal her words.</p><p>Clinically, Rhodes read them and then admitted, “Yeah. Your soulmate is either Barnes or a 1930’s gangster. You haven’t spoken yet?”</p><p>Darcy shrugged and composed an inquiry about her kitten into the phone while she verbally answered Rhodes, “I’ve spoken to him, but he’s a little…taciturn.”</p><p>Rhodey let out a little snort, “Yeah. That tracks.”</p><p>“Do you have a soulmark, Rhodey?” Jane asked. At Darcy’s little eyebrow raise at Jane’s lack of tact, Jane added, “Sorry we’re European.”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>“Have you met her? Or him? Or them?”</p><p>Darcy barely registered the rest of the conversation as she wandered off to chat with Bucky.</p><p>“Her. And yes.”</p><p>“But you aren’t…?”</p><p>“It’s complicated.”</p><p>“Sorry.”</p><p>“No. No worries.”</p><p>Meanwhile, Darcy giggled with glee at the picture Bucky sent her of her kitten sleeping with a big white collie.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Molasses Taffy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fills: Square Square T5  “Well Aren’t You Just Santa’s Little Helper?”  In A Very Darcy Advent Bingo <br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Thanks for the chocolate fudge. It's delicious. Bucky.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>You're welcome! Wanda gave you the ones without walnuts, right?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeah. She did.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Good. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I still owe you for the vet visit.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>No. You don’t.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Really, I do. And I’m about to ask another favor.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ask. I’ll probably say yes.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Then I better make it a good favor then!</em>
</p><p>…</p><p>
  <em>Can you check on Thor? He’s supposed to be watching the kitten. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And its not that I don’t trust him…</em>
</p><p>Bucky smiled to himself and then snapped a picture of the kitten snuggled up against Bucky’s new dog. The white fur on them both made the kitten almost camouflaged.</p><p>
  <em>Oh. My. God.</em>
</p><p>Bucky interpreted that as worry for the safety of the kitten and quickly typed,</p><p>
  <strong>It’s okay. Blizzard has been really gentle…</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>SO CUTE.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Okay first</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Where is Thor?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And second.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Who is that adorable fuzzy head?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I got a dog</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Actually</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>I got two</strong>
</p><p>Bucky snapped another picture. This one was of Holly, laying next to the fire. An overabundance of stockings was hanging on the mantle. Holly was sound asleep, looking like a living Christmas card.</p><p>
  <em>So pretty</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You decorated?</em>
</p><p>He worried that she was upset. So he offered,</p><p>
  <strong>We saved the tree for you</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Except the lights</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Natasha says no one likes doing the lights</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>She’s totally right. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I hate this.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I mean, I love Jane. And I’m glad she needs me. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>But taking off like that. Leaving the kitty. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And I was gonna teach Wanda how to pull taffy.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I can pull taffy.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>You are such a liar.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I can. And don’t worry about the kitten. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Holly and Blizzard don’t mind babysitting. And neither do I.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Holly the collie?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Really?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>She came with it!</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Oooh. You’re getting all defensive…</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Sorry</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>No…it’s kind of hot</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Doll….</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>And that’s really hot</em>
</p><p>Bucky was suddenly aware of the expectant faces watching him. Wanda nudged his elbow with hers. “Call her.”</p><p>He looked up at Sam, expecting a smirk, but the look on Sam’s face was sincere. He gave a little nod.</p><p>Bucky nodded back.</p><p>
  <em>Shoot. Jane has had a breakthrough. Check on you later.</em>
</p><p>He stared at the screen until it turned black. He let out a sigh that he instantly regretted. “She had to go.”</p><p>Wanda’s whisper was probably not loud enough for anyone else to hear,</p><p>“Patience.”</p><p>He looked over at her and smiled, “So…taffy?”</p><p>“You can teach me?”</p><p>“I can.”</p><p>Sam let out a little laugh, letting the mood shift back to revelry. “You do not know how to make taffy.”</p><p>“I do, actually. I used to help my ma make it every Christmas.”</p><p>Natasha ruffled Bucky’s hair and teased, “Well aren’t you just Santa’s Little Helper?”</p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>You busy?</em>
</p><p>Darcy waited anxiously for the little dots to appear saying that he was texting her back. They came quickly.</p><p>
  <strong>Not at the moment</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Good. Just checking in. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Forgot to tell you that Thor has some kitten food somewhere. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The formula isn’t cutting his appetite.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I have it. I’ve loaded everything into my apartment.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Good. Is he okay?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Sleeping when I left.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>You left???</em>
</p><p>She could almost picture him chuckling or shaking his head at her when he replied.</p><p>
  <strong>Relax, Dollface. Taking the dogs for a walk. Cat is locked in the bathroom, sound asleep. </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Okay. Sorry. Overprotective new mom here.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Understandable. Didn’t expect to be a dog owner today. I’m nervous too.</strong>
</p><p>That’s when Darcy realized. The local pet store. They had adoption events for the shelter all the time. She even remembered seeing Bucky’s dogs on the shelter website once. He’d been the one to go to the pet store and buy the food for the little one.</p><p>
  <em>Wait…. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Did you have the supplies delivered for my kitty?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Guilty?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>You’ve already done too much!</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Too much?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>No. Not too much. But so much. You’re so nice.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Nice huh?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Yes, nice. Nice is good. </em>
</p><p>
  <strong>We’re gonna do the taffy thing tomorrow night. You gonna be back?     </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>I wish.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Take pictures?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I promise.</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Mmm. Smells good,” Wanda reached forward and poked at the cooling lump of candy. “I think it’s cool enough, don’t you?”</p><p>Wanda was right. The whole room smelled amazing.</p><p>Like warm molasses and butter.</p><p>Like home.</p><p>He remembered making taffy with his ma when he was young. Steve would act as the taffy hook since he wasn’t really strong enough to actually pull it. They would pull taffy until their arms were hurting and then they’d cut it into little pieces. His ma would let each of them have one piece. But she always would sneak an extra to Steve. Wanda was acting just like his sister, anxious to get the pulling started. He’d forgotten the smell of warm molasses until that night.</p><p>“Stop that!” Sam protested as Natasha patted his face. “You’re getting butter everywhere, you crazy woman.”</p><p>Nat had been chasing Sam around with her buttered up hands for a good five minutes. His clothes were probably ruined. They had grease spots from the butter on top of the glitter that had shed off of the decorations. Sam even had glitter in his goatee.</p><p>Bucky grabbed his phone and snapped a few pictures of the candy and Wanda.</p><p>“For Darcy,” he explained. “All right, you ready?”</p><p>Wanda smiled and nodded.</p><p>“Grab a chunk of the candy and put it in my hand. Then grab each side and pull.”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>How was the taffy pull?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>It was fun.</strong>
</p><p>Darcy smiled at the pictures that Bucky sent her of Wanda pulling taffy with her hands, then with her powers. Of Sam and Nat chasing each other around with buttered hands. Of Bucky’s smaller collie giving her kitten a bath. And of the plate of finished taffy. She wished he’d thought to send a picture of himself.</p><p>
  <em>Sorry I missed it. </em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I am too</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>And taffy is the extent of my candy knowledge. Need you home soon. </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>What should we make next?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Hmmm. Rock candy?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Are you trying to challenge me? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I can make it. But you may need something easier. </em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Have plenty of snow here. Sam was saying snow cones. You think I can handle that?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>I would hope so. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And don’t eat the yellow snow!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Have you ever had divinity?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I remember that. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>I love that.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>It’s a date.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>It’s a date.</em>
</p><p>Darcy smiled widely at the phone and reveled in the warm feeling. It was a date.</p><p>
  <strong>If you want to check on the kitten, just text. I’m sure I’ll be up. </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>You are going to regret giving me an open invitation to text you whenever I want.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I doubt that. </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Charmer.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Got to go, Jane is calling for me.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Bye Doll.</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Bucky ignored Sam and Natasha’s side glances to each other as he chatted with Darcy. She was telling him about the time she made an ice cream cake and dropped it. She had a way of telling stories, even in this limited format.</p><p>“I never thought I’d live to see the day where Bucky Barnes was glued to his phone.”</p><p>“It’s been three days… I’m surprised he hasn’t gone cross eyed by now.”</p><p>Bucky looked up from the phone and scowled at Nat and Sam, “I can hear you, you know.”</p><p>“We know,” Nat admitted. “Kind of the point.”</p><p>Bucky quickly texted, “<strong>Gotta go doll, talk to you later</strong>.”</p><p>He put the phone down and glared at his two best friends, “Did you need something?”</p><p>“Just for you to come up for air.”</p><p>Nat smacked Sam on the arm and asked Bucky, “Why don’t you call her?”</p><p>“Because…I don’t want to say her words over the phone. I want to be there. I want to…”</p><p>Sam then started dancing in his seat and teased, “You wanna Bow-Chicka-Wow-Wow.”</p><p>“I hate you. So much.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>You know this little dude really needs a name</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>I know</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Didn’t want to name him until I was sure he would be ok</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>He’s okay, Dollface</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>So…Snowy?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>No. </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Says the guy who named his collie Holly</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>She came with it!</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Hahaha!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I though about Opal or Pearl….</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Girls names</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>…before I knew he was a boy</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’ll think of something</em>
</p><p>
  <em>How about Vern?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Vern?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>He could be a Vern</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Keep thinking, Doll.</strong>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>“You’ve been laughing at your phone for days,” Jane complained.</p><p>“Yeah, well, Bucky is surprisingly witty.”</p><p>Darcy let out a laugh at the picture he had sent her, of her kitten being forcibly bathed by one of his dogs. The little one was making a face of utter irritation.</p><p>“Darce, call him.”</p><p>“No…he’s obviously not ready. And it’s totally fine.”</p><p>“You said his words, he has to know you are his soulmate. What’s he waiting for?”</p><p>Darcy shrugged. “Whatever it is, I think he’s worth the wait.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Buckeyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fills: Square Square G4  “Where’s all your holiday spirit, you Scrooge?”  In A Very Darcy Advent Bingo <br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>You awake?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yep</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>How’s my baby?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I’m fine.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh. Someone is a smart ass tonight.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>The children are nestled all snug in their beds.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>And your little devil has taken over mine. </strong>
</p><p>The kitten had bunched up the edge of Bucky’s sheet to make itself a little nest. The brat was curled up against Bucky’s left hip, literally in the center of the bed. Bucky snapped a quick picture and sent it to her.</p><p>
  <em>Holy shit.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>What? Does he not look ok? He’s eating.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Not that. Your abs, dude. </em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Oh.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Really? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Really dude?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I wish you knew how much I was blushing right now.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Great. You’re hot and adorable. I can’t take it.</em>
</p><p>He was about to bite the bullet and do it. His finger hovered over the little green phone icon on the screen.</p><p>
  <em>Shoot. I have to go, adorable. Jane and science wait for no one.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>The acrid smell of burning plastic invaded his senses. Clinging to him while it permeated the air. The compound was destroyed.</p><p>Bucky frantically searched the wreckage. One by one he saw his friends, all with a single bullet wound in the middle of their forehead.</p><p>She was laying among the destruction, bleeding from the wound in her head. Darcy’s eyes were open and unblinking. Bucky fell to his knees, sobbing. And when he reached for her, his hand… it was wrong.</p><p>“Well done, soldier,” a nameless voice told him.</p><p>Bucky looked up and saw his reflection in the glass. His hair was long again. Greasepaint was smudged around his eyes.</p><p>His eyes darted frantically back down to Darcy. On her arm were the words, “Please, Bucky! Don’t kill me!”</p><p>The words were black.</p><p>Darcy then let out a whine… and something was nudging his cheek.</p><p>Bucky woke when the weight landed on his chest. It was warm, and soft.</p><p>“Hey, Holly. Good girl.”</p><p>She hopped off of the bed when he attempted to sit up. The kitten was sleeping on the floor, nestled against Blizzard.</p><p>He swung his feet to the floor and reached over to give Holly a little scratch behind her ear. “Good girl,” he repeated.</p><p>Quietly, so he wouldn’t wake the kitten, he went to his dresser and grabbed his phone. He then went back to bed and patted the spot next to him, inviting Holly up to snuggle.</p><p>
  <strong>Hey</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Hi!</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I didn’t wake you, did I?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Jane is an astrophysicist, remember? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’m up. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Is everything okay?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Kitten is fine.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Wasn’t worried about the kitten. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Are you ok?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeah. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Why wouldn’t I be?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Because its 230 in the morning and you aren’t an astrophysicist.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Bad dream</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Wanna talk about it?</em>
</p><p>
  <em> or do you want me to get your mind off of it?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Get my mind off of it.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Can I tell you a secret?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Sure.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>I put mayonnaise on my bratwurst tonight.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>What?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>It was too spicy and I like the creamy. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Do you hate me now?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I think I like you even more, actually</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>But you are strange</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Duh</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your turn</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tell me something weird about you</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>That list is long, doll</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>I’m a hundred years old</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>No. not that stuff. A quirk</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tell me something quirky</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Well, Sam gave me a list</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Ok?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>And its full of stuff I missed</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>He made me watch a kid’s movie. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>And I loved it</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>I’ve watched it more than a few times</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>What movie?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>The Lion King</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh sweetie, everyone loves the Lion King</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Did you cry?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Not telling you</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh poo </em>
</p><p>
  <em>You are no fun</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Sam tells me that all the time</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>From now on I’m the only one who can pick on you</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeah?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Yeah. I decided that just now</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So, do better. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I need another quirk</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Okay. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>I don’t like Christmas music</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Sacrilege!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Where’s all your holiday spirit, you SCROOGE?????</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I like Christmas!</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Just not this music</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>This stuff Sam has me listening to, the Red Nosed Reindeer and the snowman song. The holly jolly song. I don’t know them. They’re not Christmas to me.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>What is?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>What songs do you like?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>You know.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Silent Night</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>O Holy Night</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>The First Noel</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Wanna know a secret?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I like those too</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Also I like a little Mariah Carey and Wham!</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I don’t know what that means</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>You will!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>When I come home, you will be hearing a little Mariah!</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I can’t wait, Dollface.</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>“What was that about?” Jane asked.</p><p>“Hmmm?” Darcy was distracted by the text messages from Bucky.</p><p>“Who on earth is texting you at this hour?”</p><p>“Bucky had a nightmare. I’m distracting him.”</p><p>Jane asked quietly, as she adjusted the screen she was monitoring, “He have them often?”</p><p>“I dunno. I imagine he probably does.”</p><p>“Does he…act out? Get violent?”</p><p>Darcy put down her phone and glared, “Jesus Christ Jane.”</p><p>“I’m just worried, that’s all.”</p><p>Darcy sighed. “If he does, we will work through it.”</p><p>Jane let out a little sigh, but grinned. She took two strides over to Darcy and placed a kiss on her forehead.</p><p>“If we’re right about you being his soulmate, he is one lucky man.”</p><p>“Thanks, Janey.”<br/><br/></p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Well, I’m moving today.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Moving?</em>
</p><p>Darcy received a picture of four boxes sitting on the floor. One was open with the kitten peering out of it.</p><p>
  <em>Wait! What?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You’re leaving?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Pepper arranged for me to move into one of the new cottages. For the dogs.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>So you won’t be in the main building anymore?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Nope. Have a yard for the dogs and a real kitchen.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>…</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Doll? I thought the kitchen would get you excited.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>The only time I ever saw you was passing through the common room.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Now I won’t even see you then</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I’ll make a better effort</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Promise?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I promise</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>And I can use your kitchen?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>24-7</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Promise?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I promise, Doll.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>You gonna let me de-virginize the kitchen?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>It’s yours to deflower.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Yay!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You aren’t a chef?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I can hold my own. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Tell you what. When you get home, we will break in the kitchen together.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>I love that idea.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>What are you going to cook for me?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Oh, golly. I will have to think…</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Golly?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seriously?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You’re adorable, dude.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>“Wanda?” Bucky walked into the common room and took in the scene. Wanda was covered in either flour or powdered sugar. There were dirty pans everywhere. And it smelled…burnt. “Did the kitchen explode?”</p><p>Wanda looked around and let out an exasperated huff, “I tried to make Turkish Delight. Instead, I made a mess.”</p><p>“That you did.”</p><p>She slumped against the counter, “Darcy makes it look so easy.”</p><p>“She’s had lots of practice. She said she’s been making candy since she was a kid.”</p><p>Wanda brightened, “You talked to her?”</p><p>“Text,” he held up his phone.</p><p>She deflated again so Bucky reassured her, “It’s okay, I’m waiting for her to come home. Then I’ll talk to her. In the meantime….”</p><p>Bucky flipped through the cookbook Wanda was working from, “Let’s try these.”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Look what we did            </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Buckeyes?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They look good</em>
</p><p>
  <em>We is?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Me and Wanda</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>She was missing you.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Yeah?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Anyone else miss me?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>We all miss you</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>You totally just took the easy way out, Barnes</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I did. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>When are you coming home?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Soon, I hope.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jane is missing Thor.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Which I’m super glad about</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Was worried about them</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Why?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>The soulmark thing.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Oh. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>They don’t match?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Thor doesn’t have one</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I told her its because he’s not human</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But what do I know?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>You’re right. I think only humans have them. </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>It’s a shame though. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I can see Groot with one of those hearts with those old timey initials and a heart and arrow</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Old Timey? Should I be insulted?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>I forget that you’re old timey. What with you being so hot.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I’m hot?</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh yeah. Totally. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Love the haircut BTW. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Taking back your identity? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Or just making the ladies swoon?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Sam pushed me in tar.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>He. Did. Not.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Kept me from getting shot. But yeah. </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Remind me to thank him. I like being able to see your face</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>You are just bound and determined to make me blush</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Maybe I am.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You still miss me?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Even though I tease you?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeah. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Looking forward to seeing you in person</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>There is something we need to talk about</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Should I be worried?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>I don’t know.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Shoot. Doll, I have to go. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>We’ll talk later</strong>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>“Oh my god, just call him!” Rhodes exclaimed in exasperation.</p><p>Darcy had been fidgeting the whole flight. She’d been texting Bucky that they were flying home, and he wasn’t responding. He hadn’t responded to anything since he said they needed to talk about something. That was the night before. And nothing. Radio silence.</p><p>It was Jane that offered, “No. Darcy is right. If Bucky isn’t ready to talk to Darcy, then we should respect that.”</p><p>“Thanks, Janey,” Darcy whispered.</p><p>“Of course,” she wrapped her arm around Darcy’s shoulders and gave a little squeeze.</p><p>“Janey,” Darcy said quietly, “What if he doesn’t <em>want</em> to talk to me?”</p><p>“Why wouldn’t he?”</p><p>Darcy shrugged, “Maybe we were wrong. Maybe I’m not his soulmate. Maybe he went into town and he met his real soulmate and she said his words, and he said hers and they touched and created a soul bond?”</p><p>“You are being ridiculous,” Jane assured her. “He’s probably on a mission and can’t text right now. And I’m sure you said his words and he’s going to say yours.”</p><p>“We’re not sure, though. We’re guessing.”</p><p>Jane sternly replied, “It’s an educated guess. It’s not like we’re guessing-guessing.”</p><p>From the pilot’s seat, Rhodes teased, “As long as we’re not guessing-guessing….”</p><p>Jane snapped, “You aren’t helping.”</p><p>“An educated guess,” Darcy repeated. “And if we guessed wrong, then….”</p><p>“We didn’t guess wrong,” Jane scolded.</p><p>“What if he realized that I said his words and he decided that he would never say mine because… what if he just doesn’t want me?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. French Burnt Peanuts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fills: Square Square f5 “Reindeer Games”  In A Very Darcy Advent Bingo <br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Pepper was standing there when the door to the cottage opened.</p><p>Darcy stepped back a second to make sure that it was the right one. Friday had directed her to Bucky’s new living quarters, but maybe Darcy had gotten it wrong.</p><p>The two collies that bound out the door and mobbed her with wagging tails and squeals of joy told her that it was the right place after all.</p><p>“Darcy, I’m so glad you’re back. Have you met the Barnes Hooligans?”</p><p>“I haven’t had the pleasure,” she admitted, laughing at their antics. They were both trying their very best to get her attention with big doggie smiles and little whines of joy.</p><p>“Bucky and Sam went on what we hope is a quick recon. I’m dog-sitting. Come on in.”</p><p>Darcy took in the room, there were still boxes on the floor. It wasn’t really decorated, it was Spartan and plain. With two exceptions. First, the kitchen was completely unpacked, with brand new pots hanging from the pot rack and the counters cleared. And second, it was full of comforts for her kitten and Bucky’s dogs. Large, plush dog beds, raised up on actual platforms to keep them off the floor were on each side of the fireplace. In the window, there was a small cat tree and Darcy’s kitten was sitting on a little window hammock, batting at a toy that Morgan was dangling in front of him.</p><p>“Wow, he’s really settled in.”</p><p>Darcy meant the kitten, because Bucky clearly was not settled in, but Pepper must have thought something else. “Not really. You know he only had four boxes? Four. He bought some kitchen stuff and furniture and then…”</p><p>She shrugged and then added, “Bucky let Sam and I create a blank slate but insisted on leaving the touches to someone else.”</p><p>Pepper looked at Darcy with a knowing expression.</p><p>“Oh…yeah…um,” Darcy was rarely lost for words. But this time she really was.</p><p>Friday interrupted, “Ms. Potts, you asked me to notify you when Mr. Wilson and Mr. Barnes were back at the facility. They have landed and are en route to medical.”</p><p>“Medical?” Darcy squeaked.</p><p>“Friday, status?” Pepper asked.</p><p>“Mr. Wilson is laughing, Ms. Potts. I believe they will be just fine.”</p><p>Pepper smiled again at Darcy, “I know you probably want to take your little guy and go back to your rooms, but would you be willing to stay and dog sit? I’d like to get Morgan home for dinner.”</p><p>Darcy shook her head a little, knowing that Pepper knew full well that Darcy did not want to take her kitten and go. “I <em>suppose</em> I can stay.”</p><p>“Great! Make yourself at home!”</p><p>Then Pepper scooped up Morgan and winked as she left.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>He didn’t mean to stare. When Bucky came home, he took a few seconds to greet the dogs. Thought about calling out to Pepper and then looked up.</p><p>Darcy was standing in the middle of his living room, holding her kitten.</p><p>Her mouth was open slightly in surprise. And as soon as he registered that thought, he snapped his own gaping mouth shut. She was dressed in leggings and a big sweater that hung halfway down her thighs. He glanced down quickly and gulped when he remembered how tantalizing she had looked in those thigh high socks she had worn when she had watched him in the snow.</p><p>“Hi… I’m totally intruding but I somehow got roped into staying and waiting for you. I just stopped by to pick up the kitten. Pepper said the dogs needed to be watched, but honestly they’re so well behaved. Like they haven’t been any trouble at all. They know lots of tricks too. Did you know that? Or maybe you taught them. But anyway… I’m sure you want to rest after your mission and I’ll totally get out of your hair. I’m just gonna take him… and a couple of cans of the food. I think I have litter at my place…”</p><p>He blinked hard a few times and registered: she was talking. Babbling actually.</p><p>And she was walking by him towards the door, and… no. He didn’t want her to go.</p><p>He gently wrapped his hand around her upper arm to stop her. She looked up at him with surprise. Her mouth was open again and he could see that adorable gap in her teeth.</p><p>He mouthed, ‘stay.’</p><p>And then he added silently, ‘please?’</p><p>He could see irritation briefly flash across her face, and then doubt, “I don’t know… I….”</p><p>Bucky held up his phone and mouthed, ‘I can explain.’</p><p>He dialed quickly and then handed the phone to Darcy. On the other end, Natasha answered with, “Barnes, you idiot, you can’t talk. Text me.”</p><p>“Natasha?” Darcy asked.</p><p>“Darcy?”</p><p>Bucky mouthed, ‘Mission report.’</p><p>“Bucky wants you to give me a mission report?”</p><p>Natasha started laughing. Cackling really. “Oh you’re gonna love this. The moron lost his voice.”</p><p>Darcy’s face looked first shocked, then amused, “How?”</p><p>“Sam and Bucky raided a Roxxon facility that was producing a paralytic gas. Bucky went in alone, like a moron. And he inhaled.”</p><p>Darcy placed one hand on his chest and he thought she must have been able to hear it pounding. Instead of commenting on it she asked, “Oh my god, are you okay?”</p><p>On the phone, Natasha explained, “He paralyzed his vocal chords. Like a moron.”</p><p>He mouthed, ‘Tell her to stop calling me a moron.,’ but it was probably too many words to translate.</p><p>Darcy was babbling again, “Have you been checked out by the doctor? Have there been any other side effects? Maybe you shouldn’t be so far from medical. Should we go back to my rooms?”</p><p>“I’m leaving the moron in your capable hands, Lewis.”</p><p>Darcy glanced at the phone like she almost forgot she was holding it and absently said, “Thanks, Nat.”</p><p>“Are you okay?” her big blue eyes looked up at him with complete sincerity.</p><p>She looked so worried that he gave her a smile of reassurance and then mouthed, ‘Hungry.’</p><p>“You are not cooking. You are resting. I’m ordering something from the main building. And don’t argue with me.”</p><p>She was literally pushing him towards the couch. But he had something for her, so he held up one finger. He went into the kitchen and fetched his prize. With a smile he handed her a candy cane.</p><p>Darcy started looking around. She looked adorably confused, “You don’t have a tree.”</p><p>Unsure of what that had to do with anything, Bucky darted his eyes down to the candy cane and then up to her face.</p><p>“You want me to eat it? Honey, it’s like five years old. It’s a decoration. Please tell me you haven’t eaten these.”</p><p>Bucky shook his head and mouthed, ‘Morgan.’</p><p>“Well, kids will eat anything,” she shrugged. She plopped down on the couch, suddenly very comfortable in his space and started dialing her own phone, “I’m calling that little diner in town for delivery, they have amazing breakfasts or I could do sandwiches since its not breakfast time technically. Or do you need soup? Does your throat hurt?”</p><p>He shook his head and sat down next to her, quickly before Blizzard tried to snuggle up with her himself. The dog gave him a pitiful look and curled up in the armchair, letting out a long-suffering sigh.</p><p>‘Pancakes’, Bucky mouthed.</p><p>“You have very good taste in food. Their pancakes are amazing. Gonna get you some meat too. Bacon? Yes? Okay. Eggs. Scrambled?”</p><p>He nodded.</p><p>“Good. You’re easy to please. I like that in a man.”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>He was scowling.</p><p>Full-on scowling.</p><p>Bucky took another handful of the French burnt peanuts that they sold at the diner and scowled some more.</p><p>“The fact that he wasn’t allowed to play any Reindeer Games is really bothering you, huh?’</p><p>Bucky threw his hands up at then gestured with both of them at the television. He mouthed, ‘What the fuck?’</p><p>Darcy giggled and Bucky did one of those smirks that made her melt. “I’m worried that Rudolph is too much for you, Barnes. Do you need me to stop it? Maybe put on something a little less traumatic?”</p><p>He tossed the peanuts at her and she giggled some more. A little while later she rested her head against his shoulder and let out a little sigh. They stayed that way through Rudolph, Frosty and the Year Without a Santa Claus.</p><p>All the while the dogs and kitten slept peacefully.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Cherry Mash</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fills: Square Square F1  “My house, my rules the Christmas music stays on.”  In A Very Darcy Advent Bingo</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He was scowling again.</p><p>It was adorable.</p><p>Around the common room, the Avengers had gathered around the tree. Bucky’s dogs were playing with Sam and Thor. Morgan, Pepper, Peter, and Wanda were decorating the tree, and occasionally badgering Bruce into helping. Natasha and Rhodes were chatting with Scott, Hope and Peter’s aunt May over steaming mugs of hot chocolate. And Bucky stood in the common room kitchen and scowled at the ingredients on the counter.</p><p>Darcy rested her chin against his bicep and looked up at him, “Okay, what’s the problem, scowly?”</p><p>He gestured to the ingredients emphatically with the arm furthest from her and gently with the arm she had just removed her chin from.</p><p>“The ingredients for the candy?”</p><p>He picked up the chocolate and the scowl deepened.</p><p>“We’re not making divinity, Bucky.”</p><p>His lower lip stuck out just enough that it could be called a pout.</p><p>“I know we talked about making it together, and we will. But you said <em>that</em> was a date and I don’t bring Thor and Jane on dates with me. I want you alone when I get you all covered in sugar.”</p><p>With that, Bucky started to blush. He’d stammer if he could, Darcy bet.</p><p>He mouthed, ‘you’re mean, doll.’</p><p>Darcy let herself laugh loudly enough that everyone turned to look at her with bemused smiles on their faces.</p><p>Blizzard took the noise as a signal that Darcy wanted attention and wandered over, looking around the kitchen and then up at her expectantly.</p><p>“Don’t worry big guy. I’ll make sure you get a little peanut butter.” The big dog wagged its tail and smiled a doggie smile before he returned to Sam, who had a ball to play with.</p><p>Bucky gestured towards the counter again and made a face that indicated that he wanted to know what exactly they were making. Darcy answered, “We’re making cherry mash bars. Sam’s request.”</p><p>Bucky let out a ‘psssh’ and a dismissive wave.</p><p>The Christmas music switched from a very lovely version of ‘We Three Kings’ to ‘Santa Baby’ and Bucky let out another huff, shook his head with annoyance and looked at Darcy with his eyebrows raised.</p><p>“My house, my rules. The Christmas music stays on.”</p><p>Bucky looked around the room and gestured widely.</p><p>“I maintain that this is indeed my house. As is my apartment. And Jane’s apartment. And the lab. And... yeah. I pretty much take over. Deal with it.”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Sam finally wore out the dogs. Or maybe they wore out him. He flopped down next to Natasha and she placed her hand on his thigh, but her eyes were on Bucky and Darcy.</p><p>She started speaking to Sam quietly, “When I was in the ballet, I was always in awe of this one set of partners. They’d been dancing together for decades and they moved like they could read each other’s minds. Like they anticipated each other’s movements. They danced in perfect harmony.”</p><p>Sam looked over at Bucky and Darcy then. Darcy turned off the heat under the saucepan while Bucky handed her the cherry chips. She added them while he measured and added the vanilla. He took over stirring while she patted the maraschino cherries dry. She poured them in, and Bucky moved to the pan to grease it with butter. He slid the pan over to her and held it still while she poured the mixture in. She scooped a little of the mixture out and placed it on the tip of his nose. They both smiled widely at each other and then Bucky took a big glob of the mixture and teasingly threatened her with it.</p><p>“Jesus,” Sam said to Nat, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that relaxed.”</p><p>“Or happy,” Natasha added. “And they haven’t even completed the soul bond.”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>None of them were doing anything particularly special. They were all just sitting around the tree, talking. It was relaxed and comfortable. Darcy placed the cooled candy on a table for everyone to take a piece, and then she sat down next to him and handed him one.</p><p>Bucky bit into the confection and closed his eyes. The taste was strong, not the delicate flavor he thought he craved, but something bold and exciting. With textures and colors that he’d never experienced before.</p><p>When he opened his eyes, Darcy was looking at him expectantly.</p><p>He smiled at her. She smiled back.</p><p>A little while later, Bucky reached down and touched the side of her hand to his.  </p><p>About ten minutes after that, she hooked her pinky finger around his.</p><p>Five minutes after that, he slid his hand under hers and laced their fingers together.</p><p>They held hands until she said goodnight and went back to her apartment.</p><p>Bucky took a few extra candies back to his cottage.</p><p>He whistled ‘Santa Baby’ as he walked the dogs through the snow to his cottage.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Gingerbread</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Square F2  “You made gingerbread zombies?”  and square S5 Darcy bakes In A Very Darcy Advent Bingo <br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Darcy was standing at his door with a bag of groceries under one arm and the kitten under the other.</p><p>Bucky had been waiting all day to see her. He felt his face blossom into a big smile until he saw Peter Parker who had been standing behind Darcy, elbowing his way in.</p><p>“We need your kitchen.”</p><p>Darcy mouthed, ‘sorry.’ While at the same time Bucky mouthed, ‘wha…?’</p><p>The kitten squirmed his way out of Darcy’s arms to pounce on the dogs and then race to the top of the kitten tower that still stood in Bucky’s window.</p><p>“I’m your partner for the Avenger’s gingerbread house competition,” Parker announced, dropping several bags onto the kitchen counter. “And I know for a fact that Sam &amp; Rhodes have been consulting Shuri. And if they can bring in a ringer, so can we. Shuri knows everything, but does she know gingerbread?”</p><p>“I think gingerbread does fall into the ‘everything’ category sweetie,” Darcy said.</p><p>‘What are you talking about?’ Bucky mouthed silently.</p><p>“The gingerbread house competition,” Peter Parker repeated, looking at Bucky like he was an idiot. “They emailed us about it three weeks ago.”</p><p>Bucky looked at his phone and scowled.</p><p>“Not texted. <em>Emailed</em>. Oh my god.”</p><p>Parker snatched the phone out of Bucky’s hand and complained, “You haven’t even set it up yet! Good God. You need to set up your email!”</p><p>Bucky met Darcy’s eyes amid the noise and smiled. He mouthed, ‘Hi.’ And she whispered it back.</p><p>“Okay, we need a password, just type it twice,” Peter handed the phone back and just before he released it, he scolded, “And don’t use ‘password’ as your password.”</p><p>Bucky followed Peter’s instruction and a cascade of messages suddenly appeared. He clicked on the one entitled “Gingerbread House Contest” and read that he was indeed Peter’s partner for the contest. And that the houses would be unveiled at the all-employee Christmas party and auctioned off for charity. Another message was from Darcy inviting all the Avengers, May, Jane, Sharon Carter, Maria Hill, Wong, Strange, and Dr. Palmer to an Ugly Sweater Christmas Party a few days later. At that party, there was to be a Secret Santa gift exchange. Another message provided the rules of the exchange and the name of the person he was responsible for buying a gift for.</p><p>It was a little bit of information overload and he looked up at Darcy with what had to have been a panicked expression on his face.</p><p>“Hey…what’s wrong?”</p><p>He handed her the phone with the last message displayed.</p><p>“Okay, technically, I’m not supposed to know who you got for Secret Santa. Hence the secret part. But, yes, I will help you. But first…we bake!”</p><p> </p><p>“Bad kitty,” Peter scolded for the fourth time. The kitten had found his way onto the counter each time. And while he was too little to jump directly onto the counter, he always seemed to find a way up, climbing like a daredevil each time.</p><p>“We still haven’t named the little demon,” Darcy reminded Bucky.</p><p>“How about Edmund?” Peter offered, “After the famous mountain climber? Edmund Hillary?”</p><p>Bucky scrunched up his nose but Darcy thought hard about it. “We could name him Everest. Or Matterhorn. Rocky. Alpine.”</p><p>Bucky started snapping and nodded vigorously.</p><p>“Alpine? Yeah. I like it too. I can call him Al.”</p><p>And with that, Bucky rolled his eyes dramatically.</p><p> </p><p>Darcy eyed the gingerbread creation.</p><p>“Pete? Are those gingerbread zombies?”</p><p>“No…they’re elves!”</p><p>Pete looked down at his cookies with dismay. The green icing that was supposed to be the shirt was blending with the white trim, making the cookies look a sickly green.</p><p>Darcy looked over at Bucky who looked like he was about to laugh. She swatted his arm with a dish towel, telling him without words to not give the kid a hard time.</p><p>Peter sighed, “They do look like zombies. Shoot. I’ll start over.”</p><p>Bucky shook his head vigorously and mouthed, ‘we can do a haunted gingerbread house!’</p><p>Peter squinted and screwed up his nose before he admitted, “Nope. I got none of that.”</p><p>Bucky then held his hands up next to his face, pretending they were claws, and screwed his face into a snarl.</p><p>Peter’s lower lip turned out and he looked utterly confused. “Darcy, I think he’s broken.”</p><p>“it’s a great idea! A haunted gingerbread house. That way it doesn’t have to be perfect. We can have some serious fun with this. I can make cobwebs out of spun sugar…”</p><p>“It’s not very Christmas-y,” Peter argued.</p><p>“Okay… you wanna make those gingerbread men over again?”</p><p>“No. I don’t…. we’ll just ‘Nightmare before Christmas’ this house, then.”</p><p>Bucky scowled again, in confusion.</p><p>“You haven’t seen it, have you?” Darcy asked.</p><p>Bucky shook his head.</p><p>“Well… whatcha doing later, handsome?”</p><p>Peter laughed and put on a fake accent, “I’m sorry, Miss Darcy. But I have a physics test tomorrow. I’m afraid you’ll have to watch it without me.”</p><p>Several hours later, Peter hefted the gingerbread house up in his arms. It came out adorable. With sugar sculpture trees, pumpkin truffles, and marshmallow fluff ghosts.</p><p>“Enjoy the movie guys, I better start studying. I haven’t even looked at the material…”  He shifted the house in his arms a bit and added, before he left, “I bet I can tell my teacher that Dr. Foster said my answer is right…if I miss a question.”</p><p>“Don’t you use Jane as your accomplice…” Darcy scolded.</p><p>“Maybe I’ll luck out and we’ll have a snow day,” Peter remarked as he left.</p><p> </p><p>Bucky barely paid attention to the movie.</p><p>Darcy had snuggled into his side and covered them both with a blanket. The kitten had curled up in Bucky’s lap and both dogs were laying by their feet. Halfway through the movie, Darcy nudged Bucky and gestured that she wanted him to lounge on the couch. She stretched out against his side, with their legs entwined and her head on his chest. With his right hand, he took her left and clasped it against his stomach. He had his left arm wrapped around her and she didn’t seem to mind at all. She just sighed happily when he pulled her a little bit closer.</p><p>Her sigh was not a happy one when the movie ended. She untangled herself and sat up with a little grumble.</p><p>Alpine had repositioned himself during the movie too, nestling down between the two dogs.</p><p>“I almost feel bad taking him home…”</p><p>She wasn’t looking at Bucky so he touched her lightly on the arm so she would.</p><p>‘Stay,’ he mouthed.</p><p>“You want to keep him here?”</p><p>He shook his head, ‘You. Stay?’</p><p>“That’s very tempting. But… I have to be up super early tomorrow. Before dawn early. Jane needs me during astronomical dawn. Which is actually not dawn but still night, as far as I’m concerned.”</p><p>He smiled at her with open affection.</p><p>Darcy added, “But…you need to go shopping and since I know who your Secret Santa giftee is…I will offer my humble assistance. If you want to go shopping with me, that is.”</p><p>He nodded enthusiastically. And then his face fell a little when she got up.</p><p>“How about I leave Alpine here for the night?”</p><p>It wasn’t as good as having Darcy stay and cuddle on the couch some more. But he could wait. Soon he would say whatever her words were, then they would touch again and create their soul bond. And he would be able to tell her how she had changed everything.</p><p>He really wanted his voice back….</p><p>Then again, did he really need his voice to tell her how he was feeling?</p><p>She was already at the door. But he stopped her by grabbing her hand. He placed a kiss on the center of her palm and looked up at her through his lashes. Her breathing quickened and her mouth parted just enough that he took that as an invitation. He pulled her close with that same hand and caressed her cheek with his other.</p><p>She didn’t flinch at the vibranium against her skin, in fact, she leaned into it and closed her eyes. With his left hand, he tilted her chin up and when she opened her eyes to look into his, he brushed his lips ever so tenderly against hers.</p><p>That small brush of his lips against hers made her breathe out a small, “Oh…”</p><p>He rested his forehead against hers and waited for permission to kiss her again.</p><p>“Shit, I really do have to go… And now I really don’t want to.”</p><p>He took a step back to give her some space and Darcy repeated, “I really don’t want to go.”</p><p>He bestowed a half-grin upon her and mouthed, ‘It’s okay.’</p><p>With an utterly conflicted look, she turned away from him and opened the door.</p><p>The snowfall was so thick that they could barely see the light from Pepper’s cottage next door. The main building was completely obscured.</p><p>Bucky pulled Darcy back and shut the door, and then for a reason other than desire he demanded, ‘Stay.’</p><p>“Yeah. I think I will.”</p><p>Then she smiled and gave him a playful shove. “Did you plan this? The ‘Baby it’s Cold Outside’ seduction scenario?”</p><p>He opened his mouth and started to mouth, ‘I don’t know…”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. You don’t know what that means,” while she spoke, she wound her arms around his neck. The last word was swallowed by a passionate kiss.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Divinity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Square S1 “It’s a bird, It’s a plane” and S4 “I can’t believe no one has spiked the egg nog yet” in A Very Darcy Advent Bingo <br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam and Natasha insisted that the connection they felt through the soulbond was the most intense, feeling that they’d ever felt. That just being near each other made them feel complete.</p><p>Bucky wondered how he could possibly feel more complete than he did waking up next to Darcy.</p><p>He brushed the chocolate waves away from her face as she slept. And he scooted just a little closer so he could place a tender kiss on her forehead.</p><p>“Mmmm,” she murmured, “Morning handsome.”</p><p>She kept her eyes firmly shut and reached out for him blindly.</p><p>He tried to chuckle, but no noise came out. He was a little heartbroken by that. Saying good morning to her while she woke in his bed… those would be some wonderful words.</p><p>The shirt that she had borrowed from him was hanging off her shoulder, offering him a view that he never could have even dreamed of, even in his wildest fantasies.</p><p>She scooted forward and wrapped one leg around his calf. She was wearing a pair of his sweatpants that hung about six inches off the end of her foot.</p><p>With her eyes still shut, she nuzzled his neck and then started placing little kisses all the way up to his earlobe.</p><p>He took both of his hands and placed them on each side of her face and hauled her up to kiss her thoroughly.</p><p>“Morning breath,” she warned.</p><p>He pulled her in tighter to tell her he didn’t care. It was easier than last night when he had to somehow tell her that he wanted to hold back from going further than kissing. Fortunately, she understood that he wanted to take things slowly without her feeling like she was being rejected. She chalked it up to his ‘old-timey’ ways. And seemed to think he was reluctant to see his scars. In reality, he worried that if he saw her soul mark it would somehow mess things up.</p><p>There was still a little part of him that worried that she wasn’t really his. That if he saw her mark and said her words that it would be cheating.</p><p>And if she saw his… well she’d know that he had been keeping a secret from her. And that was a conversation that actually required his voice.</p><p>He could wait.</p><p> </p><p>Darcy picked up her phone, expecting it to be full of voicemails from an angry Jane. Darcy had texted last night, letting her know that she was trapped at Bucky’s cottage by the blizzard. Jane rarely considered natural disasters as an actual valid excuse, so Darcy was surprised that there were no voicemails, only a simple text message containing a winky emoji.</p><p>Bucky tapped on the window from outside and Darcy looked out. The dogs were romping in the snow, having a grand time. Inside, Darcy held Alpine and watched Bucky and the dogs play in the snow. She was still in his t-shirt and sweats. She’d put on a bra, and rolled the legs up on his sweatpants, but otherwise, she felt no real need to primp. Bucky didn’t seem to care that she wasn’t dolled up, he still wanted to cuddle and kiss, which she found out that morning.</p><p>When Bucky came in, his cheeks and nose reddened from the cold, he pulled her in close and she protested with a squeal, “Your hands are cold!”</p><p>This led to a chase around the living room couch, while the dogs barked and jumped playfully. When he caught her, she was tossed onto the couch and he pounced on her. Tickles and teasing pinches turned into long, slow kisses.</p><p>She pulled him in tight and murmured, “I suppose I don’t mind warming you up.”</p><p>Darcy felt honestly and genuinely happy. And at that moment, she decided that she didn’t care if the words on her skin ever came out of his mouth. She wanted to be with him. Soulmate or not.</p><p> </p><p>“You bought the ingredients to make divinity?” Darcy asked.</p><p>He gave her a sly grin and shrugged.</p><p>“Don’t think I haven’t noticed that your kitchen is stocked! Like everything I could ever even dream of needing is in here. Top of the line too.” She caressed the KitchenAid stand mixer and admitted, “I covet this.”</p><p>He made a gesture to the mixer and then to her, and then placed his hand over his heart.</p><p>“You bought it for me to use? You’re just an adorable sap, Bucky Barnes.”</p><p>Darcy had always loved making candy. She was more of a candy maker than a baker. And more of a baker than a cook. But she found that she enjoyed doing all three with Bucky by her side. After the divinity, they made a chocolate pecan pie for Jane (whom Bucky had drawn in the Secret Santa drawing) and then made themselves chicken and dumplings for dinner. The conversation may have been one-sided verbally, but his smiles and gestures said everything.</p><p>He stood behind her and kept one hand on her hip, while the other was armed with the candy thermometer when they were making the divinity. When the right temperature had been reached, he squeezed her hip and kissed her cheek.</p><p>“It’s the right temp?”</p><p>Another squeeze.</p><p>“Perfect.”</p><p>He took the rolling pin when she was making pie crust and rolled it himself. When she gave him a quizzical look, he ran one finger down the bridge of her nose. She usually did scrunch it up when she made pastry.</p><p>“I know, pastry isn’t my thing. Looks like you’re good at it, though.”</p><p>He smiled at her and returned to rolling out the crust.</p><p>When she got out the knife to cut the veggies for the chicken and dumplings, he tapped her on the shoulder and held out his hand for the knife.</p><p>“Oh, you want to impress me with your knife skills?”</p><p>He wiggled his eyebrows a bit and she laughed.</p><p>Between time in the kitchen, they played with the dogs and the kitten. They had coffee in the morning with toast and hot chocolate in the afternoon with sandwiches. They watched Christmas movies (Bucky teared up at the end of White Christmas). Played chess. (Darcy won twice, Bucky won three times).</p><p>And they kissed. And kissed. And kissed some more.</p><p>Just before dinner, the worst thing happened.</p><p>The snowplow came.</p><p>And Darcy didn’t have any excuse to stay, only a reason to leave. “Damn. Jane isn’t gonna let me off the hook tomorrow morning. I have to get up early.”</p><p>Bucky pulled her away from the window and wrapped his arms around her shoulders while he nuzzled his nose into her hair.</p><p>“You’re right. I’ll worry about that after dinner. I’m just gonna keep enjoying your company.”</p><p> </p><p>She left just before eight. As she left, she reminded him, “The all-employee Christmas party is tomorrow at six, remember?”</p><p>He nodded and kissed her goodbye. As soon as the door closed behind her, Bucky grabbed his coat, leashed the dogs, and took off after her.</p><p>“Are you walking me home?”</p><p>He smiled at her, brightly.</p><p>“Well, I feel so much safer. Thank you, Mr. Barnes.”</p><p>He offered an elaborate bow, making her laugh.</p><p>He loved that sound.</p><p> </p><p>Bucky drifted off to sleep in a state of perfect contentment. He’d had the best day of his life, even better than any of the days he’d had before the war. Maybe the soul stone had really bestowed a gift. Because Darcy was made for him. He was sure of it.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The Compound was on fire. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>People were running and screaming when they saw him. He was purposeful in his stride. He had a mission and he was going to carry it out. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He could hear people screaming for help, but he didn’t care. He carried his knife in his right hand and made his way towards his target.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Someone yelled out, “It’s a bird, it’s a plane!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>From behind him, he heard his target’s voice.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Thank god, an actual superhero is coming to save us.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He spun and faced her. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Darcy stood there with a sour look on her face and her arms crossed over her chest. She defied him with her very expression.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You gonna kill me? Because that’s what you are, isn’t it? You’re a killer. Am I right?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Winter Soldier stepped forward and plunged the knife into her heart.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Bucky woke with a start. He fumbled for the bedside lamp and knocked the glass of water next to it off the nightstand.</p><p>With a yelp, he heard Holly scramble away and cower in the corner. The glass had landed on her and water was all over her coat.</p><p>“I’m sorry, girl.”</p><p>He climbed out of bed and reached for the dog and she started to shiver in fear.</p><p>Bucky sat down hard on the floor, covered his eyes, and began to sob. After a few minutes, he felt two cold noses, one on each side, nudging at him.</p><p>He wrapped his arms around Holly and mumbled, “I’m sorry girl, so sorry.”</p><p>Blizzard licked his face until Bucky stopped crying. With a heaving sigh, he stood and grabbed a blanket. He made his way to the couch and curled up under the blanket. Soon he was weighed down by two warm bodies. Next to his head, Alpine let out a soothing purr.</p><p>Eventually, he fell back into a fitful sleep.</p><p> </p><p>Bucky approached the main building with a sense of dread. Just because he knew what he had to do, it didn’t mean he wanted to do it.</p><p>The music carried on the frigid air, but the lights inside and the sounds of laughter made everything seem falsely warm. He watched through the window for a bit. Sam and Natasha were feeding each other candies. Thor was holding court with the lab assistants, regaling them with stories with his booming voice. Pepper was chatting with Rhodey, who seemed to be able to block out everyone else and concentrate just on her. On her shoulder, Pepper had an iridescent soul mark. One that no one would have been able to see in her usual attire. But in the formal off the shoulder dress, he could see it as easily as the words that were in black.</p><p>He heard Darcy’s laugh before he saw her.</p><p>But when he finally did see her, he could see nothing else.</p><p>She was beautiful in her red, shimmery dress. Her lips were painted to match. Her hair was loose and tumbled around her shoulders. And at the hem of her dress, which hit her mid-thigh, he could see glimpses of iridescent script.</p><p>Her words.</p><p>His words.</p><p>It was time.</p><p>His heart beat so heavily that he could feel it in his ears. She saw him and smiled. She <em>beamed</em>.</p><p>She gestured for him to come inside, but he shook his head and gestured back that he wanted her to come out.</p><p>She excused herself and headed towards him.</p><p>She let out an involuntary shiver when the winter air hit her skin, but still, she bounded towards him like he was something worth being excited about. She rose up on her tiptoes to hug him.</p><p>“Hey, handsome. You’re late. It’s a hell of a party. And no one has even spiked the egg nog yet!”</p><p>Darcy stopped and pulled away. She looked at him with concern as soon as she saw he wasn’t smiling.</p><p>“Hey, what’s wrong?”</p><p>He took a few steps back, away from her, and said, “Dollface, I have a confession to make.”</p><p>She smiled then and said, “I know. I know I said your words. I know we’re soulmates.”</p><p>Darcy reached out her hand, intending to touch him and complete the soul bond.</p><p>Bucky took a step back.</p><p>He’d seen horrible things in his life. Some too horrible to name.</p><p>But the look on her face when he rejected her touch, was the worst thing he’d ever seen.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>'Hides under Christmas tree to dodge the rotten fruit being thrown at me.'</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Pecans</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Square I2  Christmas at Avengers Tower  In A Very Darcy Advent Bingo <br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Dollface, I have a confession to make.”</p><p>“I know. I know I said your words. I know we’re soulmates,” she reached for him and he took a step back.</p><p>“Darcy…”</p><p>Her face fell and he hated himself even more than usual, “What’s wrong? Bucky?”</p><p>“I can’t. I can’t do it to you. I can’t doom you to a life with someone like me.”</p><p>She was clearly angry, but she didn’t yell. She just haltingly demanded, “Bucky. Just take my hand.”</p><p>“Doll.. I promise I will try not to touch you until you get new words. You can get new ones. Pepper did. And Wanda.”</p><p>“Because their soulmates <em>died</em>,” she said indignantly.</p><p>“Yeah. Well, in my line of work…” he looked down at his feet.</p><p>“Please,” her voice cracked and he refused to look up. He couldn’t look up and see the heartbreak on her face, “Don’t do this to me, Bucky. Just take my hand.”</p><p>“I can’t. I’m sorry doll. I care about you too much to bind you to me.”</p><p>The words that came out next were angry words, but they sounded so incredibly sad, “Get out of my sight.”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Bucky almost didn’t answer the door. The knock was light, feminine. But he opened it and prepared for the onslaught.</p><p>“Dr. Foster… please.”</p><p>He wasn’t sure what he was pleading for. Forgiveness? Solitude?</p><p>It didn’t matter because she elbowed her way inside and made a bee line for the kitchen.</p><p>“I’m hungry.”</p><p>Bucky found himself blinking in confusion. “What?”</p><p>“Too many sweets at the party. I need something decent to eat.” She was poking around the kitchen like she owned the place.</p><p>“Dr. Foster…”</p><p>“It’s Jane. Is that chocolate pecan pie?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>She pulled out a plate and fork and announced, “It’s my favorite.”</p><p>“I know. It’s yours. I’m your secret Santa.”</p><p>“You aren’t supposed to tell me that.” She scooped a huge slice out onto the plate and told him, “You’ll have to get me something else.”</p><p>“Dr. Foster…Jane. Why are you here?”</p><p>“Well, you made my best friend cry. So, I’m here to kill you.” She took a bite and proclaimed, “Jesus this is good pie. Did Darcy make this? She usually doesn’t make crust this flaky.”</p><p>“I made the crust.”</p><p>“It’s awesome. So,” She took another huge bite and with her mouth full she asked, “Why did you refuse to complete the soul bond?”</p><p>Bucky sat down hard at the counter and sighed, “You saw?”</p><p>“Through the window.” She swallowed and dug her fork in for another bite, “If it makes you feel better, I don’t think anyone else was watching.”</p><p>Jane cut another piece, put it on a plate and slid it across to Bucky.</p><p>He stabbed his fork into the pie and admitted, “I’m trying to keep her from getting hurt.”</p><p>“You failed. She’s hurt.”</p><p>“You know what I mean.” He swallowed a bite and added, “I’m a monster.”</p><p>“I’ve seen you do exactly zero monstrous things since we met. Tonight included.”</p><p>“You haven’t read my file…”</p><p>“You mean the file full of all of the things you were forced to do because you were tortured and brainwashed? I’ve read it. So has Darcy.”</p><p>He picked at a single pecan.</p><p>“She hates me, Dr. Foster.”</p><p>“She didn’t mean it. Whatever it was she said tonight. She didn’t mean it.”</p><p>He continued to chase that single pecan across his plate.</p><p>“I don’t blame her.”</p><p>“What happened? You two seemed to be… obnoxiously adorable. What happened?” She reached across and grabbed that single pecan with her fingers and popped it into her mouth. She cut herself another piece as Bucky explained.</p><p>“I woke up. Remembered who I am. Remembered what kind of life a man like me deserves.”</p><p>“Hmmm,” she looked irritated with him.</p><p>He finally took a real bite.</p><p>“She should have yelled at me…”</p><p>“Not Darcy. She goes with the silent treatment. She ices you out. When you’re used to her constant commentary and suddenly she won’t talk to you.. that’s brutal shit.”</p><p>Suddenly the dogs’ ears perked up, and a quick knock on the door was followed by Sam letting himself in.</p><p>The dogs wiggled and squealed at his arrival and he offered up, “Ahhh the squishy dogs, who’s a squishy dog? Who’s my wiggle butts? Hmm?”</p><p>Sam abruptly stopped and pointed at Bucky, “You.” He then swung his finger at Jane and added, “And you. You both <em>suck</em>.”</p><p>“He knows.” Jane took a bite and asked, “What did I do, exactly?”</p><p>“You disappeared. Do you know who Darcy went to when dumbass here did that unbelievably dumb ass thing? My girlfriend. Because she couldn’t find her actual best friend. Who is <em>here</em>. With the dumbass.”</p><p>“And why are <em>you</em> here?” Bucky grumbled.</p><p>“Because I defended your dumb ass. And Natasha said that if I liked you so much I could sleep on your couch.” He dropped a duffel bag on the couch dramatically. “You better have guest sheets, man.”</p><p>Sam strode into the kitchen, pulled out a plate and scooped himself out a piece of pie. “You have any ice cream?”</p><p>“In the freezer.”</p><p>Sam scooped a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of his pie. He gestured to the container and Jane answered by protectively covering her pie.</p><p>He took a bite and asked, “Seriously, Buck, what happened?”</p><p>“Nightmare.”</p><p>With his mouth full, Sam shrugged, “That’s not new.”</p><p>“I killed her. She said my words, and then I stabbed her.”</p><p>Sam’s eyes widened, “Shit.”</p><p>“Then I spent the entire day watching that news channel that hates me.”</p><p>Sam dropped his fork with exasperation, “Dude.”</p><p>“And Darcy deserves better than me.”</p><p>“Has he always been a self-sacrificing idiot?” Jane asked.</p><p>Sam picked his fork back up and pointed with it. “Natasha called him that about twenty minutes ago, as a matter of fact.”</p><p>“She’s one to talk,” Bucky said, staring at his pie. Then he looked up at Jane and asked, “Can I fix this?”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>“How?”</p><p>“I’d start with an apology. And you better hurry. The longer she waits, the bigger that glacier is gonna be.”</p><p>All three jumped when Bucky’s phone rang. Bucky’s heart felt like it jumped right into his throat. Maybe it was Darcy.</p><p>Pepper started speaking before Bucky even said hello.</p><p>“You need to take the jet.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Natasha is driving Darcy to the Tower. From there, she’s taking a car to her parent’s house in Vermont. Take the jet. Meet her there. And <em>fix this</em>. I’ll watch the dogs. Go.”</p><p>Bucky didn’t even know how Pepper knew what was going on, except for the fact that Pepper seemed to know everything. Bucky also noticed how Sam and Jane were listening to the conversation. He lowered his voice to ask, “Did you know you have a new soul mark?”</p><p>“I saw it a few days ago. I don’t know who said it.”</p><p>Jane butted into the conversation and yelled, “What’s it say? Sorry. I’m European.”</p><p>Bucky rolled his eyes and put the call on speaker.</p><p>Pepper didn’t seem phased by Jane’s interruption and answered, “It says, ‘Pleased to meet you Miss Potts’. It’s…non-specific.”</p><p>“Have you touched Rhodey since the words showed up?” Jane asked.</p><p>“No…? I don’t think so. Why?”</p><p>Jane shrugged and returned to her pie, “No reason.”</p><p>“I’ll pick up the dogs, Bucky. The kitten too. Just go after her. Please. Don’t let her go.”</p><p>Bucky found himself nodding. “Okay. Okay. I’m going after her.”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>The Tower was decorated for Christmas. Garlands and lights hung everywhere. Perfectly decorated trees were in every room that was big enough to accommodate them. But he sat there, in one of the Avengers’ lounges, ignoring it all.</p><p>Finally, Friday announced, “Agent Romanoff and Ms. Lewis have arrived. They are in the parking garage.”</p><p>Bucky raced down the Tower stairwells, leaving Sam and Jane to take the elevators. All the while Friday kept him appraised of Darcy’s location.</p><p>He burst out the stairwell in the garage just as Natasha pushed the button, requesting an elevator. Sam and Jane emerged from that same elevator and stopped in their tracks, ending up standing just behind Bucky, Jane on his right and Sam on his left.</p><p>Darcy was standing there, eyes red and puffy. Her cheeks were blotchy, and even her hair hung limply, as if it was also affected by his callousness.</p><p>“Darcy,” he began.</p><p>Natasha took a step back, to stand next to Darcy. She opened her mouth, but it was Darcy who spoke.</p><p>“What are you doing here?”</p><p>Bucky felt the corners of his mouth tip downward and the furrow appear between his brow. With a face full of hope, but prepared for rejection he said, “I came for you.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>Jane shoved him forward. He turned slightly to glare at her.</p><p>“Why do you care, Bucky?” As Darcy spoke, she gestured with her arms, raising them and then dropping them heavily downward. But she was open, not holding them across her chest. Bucky took it as a good sign.</p><p>“Because… I love you.” The words came pouring out then, “And I still don’t think I deserve you. But I want you. I know that’s not a good enough reason.”</p><p>“No. it’s not.”</p><p>“I have nothing to offer you. I have a dangerous job. I have self-doubt. I have nightmares. I have…”</p><p>Sam hid his words with a fake cough, “serious issues.”</p><p>“But I love you. I love you Darcy. Even if the soulmarks had never appeared. Even if we’d said the wrong words to each other. I would still love you.”</p><p>One eyebrow arched up and Darcy demanded, “Keep talking.”</p><p>“Shit… okay. I love the way you boss around Banner. And I love the way you keep Jane organized.”</p><p>Jane made a see-saw motion with her hand. “Eh.”</p><p>“I love the way you make Wanda laugh. I love the way you make all of us feel like we’re a family.”</p><p>Sam nudged him, “Make it about <em>her</em>, man.”</p><p>“I love the way you can figure out what I’m saying without me saying a word. I love the fact that you are gentle and patient enough to nurse Alpine back to health. I love the fact that you didn’t make fun of me when I cried at the end of White Christmas. I love the fact that no matter what Christmas song comes on that you know every single word. I love the fact that you think A Nightmare Before Christmas is a Christmas movie.”</p><p>“It <em>is</em> a Christmas movie.”</p><p>Bucky allowed himself a little smile, “It’s a Halloween movie, Dollface. But I love it anyway. I love you. I desperately love you, Darcy. And I’m begging for your forgiveness. Please.”</p><p>Darcy turned slightly to Natasha, but her eyes didn’t leave Bucky.</p><p>“What do you think?”</p><p>Nat shrugged, “As far as begging goes, he did an adequate job.” She gestured to Sam and Jane, “Come on, let’s leave them alone.”</p><p>Sam muttered, “Bow chika wow wow.”</p><p>“Shut up, Sam,” Natasha scolded.</p><p>Bucky took a step towards Darcy and the arms came back up to cross over her chest, “Can we just go home? We can talk at home.”</p><p>“Okay. Okay, whatever you want.”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>The flight was the most excruciating twenty minutes of his life. Darcy sat as far as she could from him and didn’t look his way once. When they got back to the Compound, Bucky expected her to head to the main building, but she went towards his cottage instead.</p><p>She walked about six feet in front of him the whole time, with her arms crossed in front of her. Her body language was not inviting his touch.</p><p>He shot off a quick text to Pepper, telling her that he was back. And she sent back a text telling him that she could keep the dogs and Alpine at her place for the night.</p><p>Before they got to the porch, Darcy stopped and waited for him to open the door. She shrugged out of her coat and mittens and then stood there awkwardly.</p><p>“You ruined it,” she said.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he whispered.</p><p>“I kind of ruined it too,” she admitted. “Your words…”</p><p>He reached towards them unconsciously. “They scared me,” he admitted.</p><p>“I’m sorry.” She took one step towards him. One beautiful step and then lifted her eyes enough to meet his. “Can I see?”</p><p>Bucky fiddled with the hem of his shirt before he lifted up and over his head, mussing his hair in the process. He stood there, waiting for her to comment on the prosthesis or the scars, but her eyes went to the words.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” she whispered.</p><p>“It’s all right. It’s a good memory now. Caramel. I’ll always associate you with caramel.”</p><p>He almost stopped her when she reached for the button on her jeans. Then he realized what she was doing. She shimmied out of her jeans and turned slightly, so he could see the words on her thigh.</p><p>“Doll?” Bucky extended his hand. It was shaking.</p><p>Fear, adrenaline, desire…all coursing through him.</p><p>Darcy bypassed his hand entirely and placed both of her hands on his chest. She slid her hands down and her eyes watched his soulmark as it turned silver. He didn’t watch her mark turn, he watched her face instead. He watched her eyes close as the waves of contentment shuddered over them both.</p><p>The bond was formed and it was… everything.</p><p>She looked up at him, with unshed tears in her eyes.</p><p>“If you run away from me now, it will kill me. Maybe not literally but…”</p><p>Bucky put his hands on her face, his fingers in her hair, and knelt slightly, to look her in the eyes and promised, “Never again. I swear.”</p><p>She nodded and then smiled ever so slightly, “So, are you gonna kiss me or what?”</p><p>Her hands slid up to wind around his neck.</p><p>“I’ll give you whatever you ask for, Doll,” he whispered against her lips.</p><p>He melted like warm sugar into her kiss.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Whipped Cream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fills: Square F4 “Hey, cut it out. It’s the holidays!” in A Very Darcy Advent Bingo <br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Darcy…” Bucky kissed her calf. One leg was thrown over the quilt. The rest of her was buried under the blankets, “Dollface…”</p><p>He placed another kiss on her knee. A third kiss was tenderly placed on her hip.</p><p>She groaned and turned her face into the pillow, causing the covers to slip away from her back.</p><p>“Ugggh, sleeping, g’way.”</p><p>He chuckled and kissed his way up her spine, “Wake up, sweetheart.”</p><p>“Nunnnh,” she responded.</p><p>“I got pancakes from that little diner you like….”</p><p>She turned her face just enough that he could actually make out words, “Pancakes?”</p><p>“And your Huckleberry syrup.”</p><p>“And you’re planning on putting the syrup on the pancakes?”</p><p>“Where else would I put the syrup?”</p><p>Darcy sat up and arched an eyebrow at him.</p><p>He grinned slyly back. Then he let out a chuckle and promised, “I’m just trying to feed you, Doll.”</p><p>“Well forgive me if I don’t trust you. You promised me coffee three times already…and breakfast. And I didn’t get anything but orgasms.”</p><p>He laughed then, and placed another kiss on her thigh, right on her soulmark. He murmured into her skin, “Forgive me doll. But you’re irresistible.”</p><p>“And you, sir, are insatiable. Bring me pancakes.”</p><p>“You aren’t getting up?”</p><p>She scooted deeper into the pillows and pouted, “Nope. I’m worn out. Exhausted. Can’t move.”</p><p>“I see… Kids, get her!”</p><p>He jumped on her and started tickling her. Holly and Blizzard jumped up on the bed too, barking and wiggling. Darcy squealed out, “Okay, okay, I’m up. I’m UP!”</p><p>Bucky picked her up in a fireman’s carry, causing her to squeal some more, “You’ve been in bed for two days, Darcy. Time to get up!”</p><p>“And who’s fault was that? Yours! You and your lips and your hands and your…”</p><p>He dropped her on the couch and she giggled. Bucky promptly picked up Alpine.</p><p>“Shhh. Not in front of the baby!”</p><p>“Oh my god, you’re such a weirdo!”</p><p>He shrugged and teased, “I’m not the one naked on the living room couch. Our friends could come over at any moment. They’d get quite an eye full.”</p><p>“Our friends would deserve whatever they got if they come in without knocking.” Darcy reached forward and grabbed Bucky by the hip and pulled him down towards her. Alpine jumped away, full of feline indignation.</p><p>“Now who’s the insatiable one?” he teased.</p><p>“Mmm…. You’re irresistible too, handsome. What can I say?” The last of her words were muffled by the tiny bites she was placing on his neck and the gasp Bucky let out when her hands dipped under the waistband of his underwear.</p><p>Roving hands and lips were interrupted by a loud, insistent, “Mmmmrrrrooowww!”</p><p>“Your cat is hungry,” Bucky complained. Then Darcy’s stomach also growled insistently.</p><p>“Okay, I’m hungry too. I admit it. Gimme food, then more sleep, or maybe more sex. Possibly a shower.”</p><p>“Food,” Bucky brought her a stack of syrup-drenched pancakes and then wrapped a plush blanket around her.</p><p>“Did you make whipped cream?” She took a bite of the fluffy mound of whipped cream on top of the pancakes.</p><p>“Well, I ain’t putting that canned stuff on them. That’s not whipped cream.”</p><p>“You are very wise. I can’t believe you had enough energy to go next door to pick up the dogs, let alone go to the main building to get this syrup. And make whipped cream. You had the pancakes delivered, right?”</p><p>“Nope. I went into town.”</p><p>“When was this?”</p><p>“When you were sleeping.”</p><p>“After orgasm number….?”</p><p>“I have not been keeping count,” he laughed.</p><p>“Liar. You’re totally keeping track.”</p><p>He placed a kiss on her temple and teased, “Can’t count that high, Doll.”</p><p>“Feed your cat, you arrogant bastard!”</p><p>Bucky laughed again.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean, we have to leave?” Darcy whined, in a charming way.</p><p>“I need to get something for Jane, for her Secret Santa gift.”</p><p>Darcy scowled a little, “We made her a pie.”</p><p>“Do you see a pie?”</p><p>“What happened to the pie?” Then Darcy let out a mock gasp, “Did you eat the pie?”</p><p>“Jane ate the pie.”</p><p>Darcy was already dressed and showered, despite her protests, so she could go outside and play ball with the dogs earlier.</p><p>Bucky had to strike while the iron was hot.</p><p>In other words, before Darcy started stripping their clothes off again.</p><p>“What are you gonna get her?”</p><p>“I saw an old telescope at the antique mall…”</p><p>“Nope! That’s way over the price limit. Nice try!”</p><p>“Do you have any better ideas, Dollface?”</p><p>“I may have one….”</p><p> </p><p>“Please, Doll. Can we listen to anything else?”</p><p>He was lying about being annoyed. Darcy bounced around the kitchen singing into her wooden spoon and occasionally pointing at him to emphasize a lyric or two.</p><p>“I just want you for my oooown. More than you cold ever kno-oh. Make my wish come truuuue. Cause All I want for Christmas is Yooooou. Yoou, Bucky Baby!”</p><p>“Those aren’t the words.”</p><p>“How would you know, old-timey man?”</p><p>“You’re asking for trouble, Doll!”</p><p>“Whatcha gonna do, old-timey man? Spank me?”</p><p>“You’d like that wouldn’t you?”</p><p>Darcy then let out a whooping laugh, setting the dogs off, barking and jumping.</p><p>“Now I’ve done it,” she laughed.</p><p>“Friday pause the music,” Bucky laughed.</p><p>“Nooo,” Darcy’s lower lip stuck out. “I love Christmas music…”</p><p>“I know you do, but I think the dogs need to go out.”</p><p>“Okay, but when we come back in the music comes back on?”</p><p>“Absolutely.”</p><p>“Because it’s the holidays… “ Darcy rose on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, “And at holiday time we listen to Christmas music, and make candy and have snowball fights and drink cocoa.”</p><p>“All true.”</p><p>“And go visit family?”</p><p>He leaned back a little to look at her, “Are you asking me to go visit your family?”</p><p>“Yup. I was gonna go the day after our all-Avengers funky sweater party. Wanna meet the folks, soulmate?”</p><p>“I dunno, Darce….”</p><p>“You don’t have to. But… you should probably know that my mom is Senator Daphne Lewis. You may have seen her on TV.”</p><p>“The Senator that always goes on those news shows to talk about how incompetent and crooked Secretary Ross is?”</p><p>“That’s my mom… So, if you’re worried that she won’t like you…you don’t have to worry.”</p><p>“She talked about me. On the news. About a pardon.”</p><p>“And my dad is even more impressive.”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“You know that baking show on Sunday nights that everyone is addicted to?”</p><p>Bucky narrowed his eyes as he thought hard, “Yeah…. Wait a minute. That’s your dad? The host?”</p><p>“Yep. All you have to do is praise his pate a choux and he will adore you forever. But you don’t have to go. I mean, I <em>want</em> you to. But I won’t be mad if you don’t want to.”</p><p>“I want to,” and he surprised himself when he realized that he really did.</p><p>Holly was patiently waiting by the door and she let out a frustrated whine.</p><p>“Sorry girl, we’re coming.”</p><p>“We’ll need to find a cat-sitter. But my brothers bring their dogs, so we can bring ours.”</p><p>“Ours,” he repeated. His heart felt truly full.</p><p>She snuggled against him when they went outside, even though she had on layers upon layers. Her nose turned red and he could see her breath when she laughed at the dogs.</p><p>God, he was happy.</p><p>And he just couldn’t resist doing what he did next. He dropped a little ball of snow down the back of her coat and she squealed in protest, “Hey cut that out!”</p><p>Bucky shrugged, “Couldn’t help it, it’s the holidays!”</p><p> </p><p>Darcy dropped the grocery bags on the kitchen counter and then went over to the couch and flopped down. Blizzard jumped up next to her to cuddle.</p><p>“You gonna help me put the groceries away, Darcy?” Bucky asked with a smile at her dramatic flop onto the couch.</p><p>“Too tired… that was exhausting.”</p><p>“Thought I was saving the exhausting stuff for later. I’d hate to waste this leftover whipped cream.”</p><p>Darcy grinned back at him, “Oh I fully intend to eat that whipped cream off of your abs, Babe.”</p><p>“Promises, promises,” he teased. He put the few perishables in the fridge and sat down next to her. Blizzard grumbled about being moved. “Seriously, thanks for the idea. You sure Jane is gonna like it?”</p><p>“Absolutely. It was lucky I got Thor for Secret Santa. Two birds with one stone. But geeze, going anywhere with him is exhausting. All the people wanting pictures and his excitement about every little thing. Look at this, look at that! It’s snow! Decorations! Horse poop! Everything is awesome! It’s adorbs, but damn. I’m glad I ended up with a low-key kind of soulmate.”</p><p>“Low-key, huh?”</p><p>“Mmm-hmm. Low-key with old-timey manners, the body of a Greek god, and lots of stamina. My kind of man,” Darcy smiled over at him and patted his thigh. “Let’s go. Bedroom. Don’t forget the whipped cream.”</p><p>“I thought you were exhausted!” he laughed.</p><p>“I am. You can eat the whipped cream off of me while I lay there like a goddess.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chocolate Covered Strawberries</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Square I5 Midnight in A Very Darcy Advent Bingo <br/>And Square A1 Bucky/Darcy in Darcy Lewis Bingo</p><p>This was a lot of fun to write. Thanks for the love to all of you who commented. You kept me motivated.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So they take a needle…and load it with ink….”</p><p>Darcy smiled to herself as she listened to Thor tell the story of how he got a tattoo reading, ‘Do me a favor and don’t be dead,’ down his forearm.</p><p>The Guardians were the only people in the Compound he hadn’t told the story at least ten times to, and they were a captive audience.</p><p>It was a gorgeous night. The Christmas tree was lit up, the fire was going, and the champagne was flowing. The Avengers and the senior staff were dressed to the nines. Darcy was in a black velvet dress with her hair swept up. And across the room, Bucky was talking to Sam, both of them looking dapper in tailored suits.</p><p>She smiled and winked at him and he raised a glass to her.</p><p>Jane handed Darcy a glass of champagne and shook her head while she watched Thor spin the tale of his tattoo as if it was a great battle.</p><p>“You’ve made him so happy…” Jane told Darcy, as she handed her a glass of champagne.</p><p>“It was just as much for you, Janey. Just a little reminder that he’s as much your soulmate as you are his. Words be damned.”</p><p>“It was a very good secret Santa gift. How was the visit to your folks?”</p><p>“Good. If you want any more details than that we will have to cop a squat. These heels are killing me.”</p><p>“Why on earth would you wear them, if they hurt?”</p><p>“They look good Jane. I realize fashion is not your thing, but they look <em>good</em>.”</p><p>Darcy glanced over at Bucky, who smiled back at her. She couldn’t help notice the way his eyes did a quick up and down, appraising how she looked in her little black dress and strappy red heels. He bit his lower lip and dragged it through his teeth. Darcy felt her skin heat up on her cheeks and she knew she had just blushed bright red.</p><p>“Good lord,” Jane muttered.</p><p>Darcy turned her attention back to her best friend. “What?”</p><p>“Nothing. I just have a little bet with Natasha.”</p><p>“You made a bet with the Black Widow? For a genius, you’re hella dumb.”</p><p>Jane sipped her champagne and then said, “We’ll see. I know you better than she does.”</p><p>“What’s the bet? Is it about my shoes? Because I can take the pain.”</p><p>Natasha approached just then, bearing a small plate of chocolate-covered strawberries. It was almost as if she knew where the conversation was headed. Spies were a pain, Darcy decided.</p><p>“If you tell her what we bet on then you lose, Jane,” Natasha warned.</p><p>“I haven’t said a word,” Jane promised.</p><p>“Hey, I have a question,” Darcy asked, “why are we all dressed up when it’s just…us?”</p><p>Jane looked around the room as if she didn’t know who was there. All of the Avengers were present, even Peter who had brought his girlfriend MJ. Scott’s daughter and a boy Tony had mentored named Harley were in Peter’s orbit as well. Along with a friend of Pete’s named Ned.</p><p>Hope and Scott had brought her parents and his ex-wife, daughter, and his ex-wife’s husband. Which would have been weird if he wasn’t super nice. Scott also brought a friend of his named Luis, who Darcy thought was a riot. She was hoping to introduce him to Thor at some point.</p><p>Over in one corner, Pepper and Rhodey were laughing and Darcy noted how Rhodey was being very careful not to touch her skin. He met Darcy’s eyes briefly and she nodded in acknowledgment. She knew, more than most, how important timing was when it came to a soul bond. They’d get there, eventually.</p><p>“Darcy, there is a time and a place for leggings and ugly sweaters,” Natasha scolded. “And New Year’s Eve isn’t that time.”</p><p>“Whatever, I rock a good pair of leggings.”</p><p>Darcy grabbed one of the strawberries and bit into it. The chocolate coating cracked and melted in her mouth, followed by a burst of juice from the strawberry. Darcy wiped away the juice and chocolate that dripped down her chin and followed it with a swig of champagne. Over the rim of the glass, she met Bucky’s eyes. His tongue darted out to his upper lip. Darcy responded by raising her eyebrows.</p><p>His eyes roved up and down her figure with absolutely no subtlety. This time it was Darcy who bit her lip. She rubbed her thighs together to quench the sudden need for pressure between her legs.</p><p>Bucky raised his own glass of champagne to his lips and locked eyes with Darcy as he drank down the entire glass. He finished by running his tongue from one corner of his mouth to the other.</p><p>“You know,” Darcy said to Jane and Natasha, without once pulling her eyes away from Bucky’s. “These shoes are hella uncomfortable. Maybe I should go back to the cottage to change….”</p><p>“Or you could go barefoot,” Natasha’s voice rumbled like she was saying something scandalous.</p><p>“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jane barked, “Go change into flats. But take Bucky with you. It’s dark and icy. I don’t want you to slip and fall.”</p><p>“You know what? I bet you have a pair of comfy shoes in the lab,” Natasha offered.</p><p>“Mmm hmm,” Darcy agreed, completely mesmerized by the way Bucky was loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top button of his shirt.</p><p>Jane piped up as if struck by inspiration, “Oh my God, Darcy! Bucky is under the mistletoe! You’ve finally caught someone!”</p><p>Darcy let out a little gasp of excitement, followed by a tiny grunt of pain from her shoes as she scrambled over to where she had placed the mistletoe right after Thanksgiving.</p><p>Natasha raised an eyebrow at Jane as Darcy darted away, “Mistletoe? That’s the best you’ve got?”</p><p>“I’m winning this bet, Romanoff. There is no way they will still be here at midnight. I don’t think even you can manage to keep their hormones under control long enough to keep them at this party for an hour.”</p><p>“Never underestimate me, Foster.”</p><p> </p><p>Darcy loved how solid Bucky felt under her hands, and her fingers always seemed to find their way to that one spot, where his soulmark was. It wasn’t intentional or even conscious. But when she kissed him under the mistletoe, she slid her hand under his suit jacket and placed it there, right over the words that she’d said to him a month ago.</p><p>“You taste like chocolate and strawberries,” she told him.</p><p>“And champagne,” he agreed.</p><p>“Mmm hmm, you have yummy lips, Mr. Barnes.”</p><p>“How bad do your feet hurt, Doll?”</p><p>“So…so bad. How about we get out of here? You can massage my feet and feed me strawberries.”</p><p>“It’s only nine o’clock.”</p><p>“How about I feed you strawberries then?”</p><p>Bucky let out a little laugh and wrapped his arm around her waist, guiding her towards the exit.</p><p>They were hijacked first by Sam and Natasha, who insisted on taking pictures of everyone in every conceivable grouping. Then by Rocket, who wanted to talk about Bucky’s great adventure on Vormir.</p><p>Rocket was standing on the barstool and kept smacking Bucky on the back and exclaiming, “You keep smiling, and it's idiotic. Stop it! It’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen!”</p><p>After that, Darcy noticed that Natasha indulged Rocket in a very vigorous ear massage. In fact, everyone there seemed to have something that they just HAD to talk to them about.</p><p>And the whole time, Bucky kept touching her. His hand on the small of her back. Or tracing up and down her ribs. When they were sitting, talking to Luis, Bucky reached across Darcy’s lap to put his right hand on her right thigh, right over the soul mark. There were little touches of his thigh against hers, or he’d play with her fingers. All of those little things that made her desperately want to leave the party and retreat to the comfort of his little cottage.</p><p>And Jane, bless her, kept trying to give them excuses to leave. Then again, a real friend would have gone to the lab to get her some comfy shoes to wear.</p><p>At eleven, they had actually managed to get to the coat rack, but they were trapped again, this time by Sam. Darcy was holding a little box of those chocolate-covered strawberries to indulge in at home. She had abandoned her shoes, which were dangling from Bucky’s fingers. When she let out a little shiver, he shrugged out of his suit jacket and draped it around her shoulders. Then he wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her up to stand on his feet, so she wouldn’t be barefoot on the cold ground.</p><p>She snuggled against him and pondered if it would be really inappropriate to lick his neck right then.</p><p>Probably.</p><p>At eleven fifteen, Darcy and Bucky finally managed to escape the party. As they left, Darcy heard Jane yell, “Suck it, Romanoff!”</p><p>This was followed by a lot of laughing, Rocket’s being the loudest.</p><p>Darcy didn’t care what it was about. She just wanted to get her soulmate home and in bed as soon as possible.</p><p> </p><p>Darcy looked around the bedroom with a sigh. Despite their intentions to strip each other bare the second they got in the door, the dogs had to go out and Alpine was pouncing on their legs as they walked. Darcy indulged him in a quick game with the cat toy and then changed into a big, fluffy, fleece sweatshirt. She picked up the leggings she had gotten out and dropped them back into the chest of drawers. Instead, she pulled on a thick pair of thigh high socks and emerged from the bedroom just as Bucky and the dogs came back in.</p><p>“Oh shit,” Bucky muttered.</p><p>Darcy looked around, “What? Did Alpine tear something u…?”</p><p>She didn’t get to finish the thought. Bucky stalked towards her, grabbed her waist with one hand and cradled her face with the other. The cold vibranium against her neck and chin made her shiver.</p><p>“C’mere,” he growled.</p><p>She wound her arms around his neck and rose up on her tip toes to press herself against his warm, firm body. His hands drifted down and soon he was leaning over her so he could grab the back of her thighs and haul her up into his arms.</p><p>“Those damn socks do something to me, Doll.”</p><p>“You’ve never seen them,” Darcy protested between searing kisses.</p><p>He dropped her on the bed and she giggled as she bounced. Bucky looked downright feral, “That night when we took Morgan sledding. I could see you watching me through the window. God… those socks.”</p><p>“You could see me? Damn… glad I didn’t touch myself…”</p><p>His kiss smothered the last word and Darcy’s subsequent giggles too.</p><p> </p><p>“I have something for you, Doll,” Bucky called from the kitchen.</p><p>Darcy emerged from the bedroom, feeling languid and debauched. She stole his comforter from the bed and wrapped it around herself. She curled up on the couch and turned on the television to catch the New Year’s countdown.</p><p>Bucky was clad in nothing but a pair of sweatpants and Darcy wondered if he’d mind if they skipped the countdown just like they’d skipped out of the party.</p><p>“Dude, you think my socks are hot? You should see you right now.”</p><p>In his hands he had two boxes. She recognized one as the strawberries they had brought home from the party. The other was in the box that her dad used in his confectionary.</p><p>“Dad sent candy home?” She asked.</p><p>“He and I made it together, while you and your mom were shopping.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me that?”</p><p>“It was a surprise.”</p><p>Darcy reached for the box, “Whadja make?”</p><p>He put the box on the coffee table, out of her reach. “Not until New Year’s. Want a strawberry?”</p><p>“No…I want the surprise!”</p><p>Bucky chuckled and took out one of the strawberries as an offering. Darcy obediently opened her mouth and he fed her a bite, before he took a bite himself.</p><p>“Mmmm. Couldn’t have done better myself. Actually. I could. The chocolate could have been tempered a bit better. It’s a bit gooey.”</p><p>“Well, now you aren’t getting the other box. I’m afraid of the criticism you’ll give me.”</p><p>“Bucky baby, if it was made with love, I’m sure it’s perfect.”</p><p>On the TV the countdown began… <em>10…9</em></p><p>“It was made with lots of love, Doll.”</p><p>
  <em>8…7…</em>
</p><p>“What did you make?”</p><p>
  <em>6…5…</em>
</p><p>“Salted caramels.”</p><p>
  <em>4…3…</em>
</p><p>“Like the night I said your words?” Darcy snatched the box and opened it.</p><p>
  <em>2…1…</em>
</p><p>Inside there were perfect salted caramels. And a ring.</p><p>
  <em>Happy New Year!</em>
</p><p>Darcy blinked away tears of joy. He didn’t have to ask. She didn’t have to say anything in response. She just nodded and he took the ring and put it on her finger.</p><p>They didn’t need words.</p><p>They just needed each other.</p><p>And candy kisses.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>End</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>